Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index = State Defense Forces = The State Defense Forces are the official state military reserve to the United States National Guard. They are authorized, but not funded, by the federal government to act as a replacement for the National Guard in case it should be federalized. Table of contents 1 Origins 2 Organization 3 Future 4 States With Defense Forces 5 See Also Origins Throughout most of its history until the early 1900s, the United States maintained only a minimal army and relied on state militias to supply the majority of its troops. In 1903, the National Guard was formed to incorporate the militia structure into the U.S. Army and thus place under more direct federal control. During World War II, much of the National Guard was deployed on federal duty. This led many states to organize separate militias (some building on ones that never ceased to exist) to defend their own territories and shorelines. The federal government officially condoned this act of the states in 1956 with the addition to the U.S. Code of Title 32 Section 109c. Organization Most states organize their State Defense Force in parallel to their National Guard force, having it report to the governor through the Adjunct General. The Force is not funding by the federal government in any way. In most states, members act on a completely volunteer basis, have to purchase any uniforms after the first, and supply their own arms (if it's an armed force at all). Future Efforts are being made in Congress to better integrate the State Defense Forces into a larger Homeland Security strategy. This might involve enabling the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with, loan equipment to, and provide training for the State Defense Forces. States With Defense Forces Alabama State Defense Force Alaska State Defense Force California State Military Reserve Georgia State Defense Force Indiana Guard Reserve Maine State Guard Maryland Defense Force Massachusetts Nevada New Mexico State Defense Force New York Guard Ohio Military Reserve Oregon State Defense Force Pennsylvania State Military Reserve South Carolina State Guard Tennessee State Guard Texas State Guard Vermont State Guard Virginia State Defense Force Washington State Guard Commonwealth of Puerto Rico State Guard See Also 2003 House Resolution #2797 This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.