The paper argues that the National Guard’s transformation from a strategic to an operational reserve—especially during the War on Terror—has become unsustainable because of its dual federal and state missions. Gelinas contends that the Guard cannot simultaneously meet the demands of Title 10 federal deployments and Title 32 state responsibilities.
To resolve this, he proposes re-establishing a traditional state militia system as a complementary force under the authority of state governors and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). These revitalized militias—modern State Defense Forces—would handle domestic security, disaster response, and homeland defense while freeing the Army and Air National Guard to serve primarily as federal operational reserves overseas.
The thesis includes:
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A legal analysis of U.S. Code Titles 10 and 32, showing how states retain authority to raise their own defense forces under § 109.
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A historical review tracing the evolution of the militia from colonial times through the National Guard Acts of 1903 and 1916.
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Discussion of contemporary issues such as the Total Force policy, resource strain, and cross-leveling of Guard units during Iraq/Afghanistan.
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Recommendations for creating a three-tiered force structure: Active Duty, National Guard, and State Militia—giving Americans multiple ways to serve without excessive overseas obligations.
Gelinas concludes that a properly resourced state militia framework would provide a cost-effective, legal, and locally responsive means to strengthen homeland defense while preserving the operational capacity of the National Guard for national missions.
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