the air national guard as we know it today, a separate reserve component of the united states air force in addition to the purely "federal" air force reserve, was a product of the politics of postwar planning and inter-service rivalry during world war ii. the army air forces leaders who planned and maneuvered for an independent postwar air force during world war ii had little confidence in the reserves of the u.s. army, especially the state-dominated national guard. on the contrary, those leaders expected to build the largest and most modern standing air force possible. however, domestic politics and american history forced them to significantly alter their plans.