The article “The Militia You’ve Never Heard Of” by Adam Freedman highlights the overlooked but essential role of State Defense Forces (SDFs) as America’s untapped resource for homeland security. Freedman begins with the example of the New York Guard’s 56th Brigade, which successfully supported law enforcement during the 2004 Republican National Convention when National Guard units were deployed overseas. He explains that SDFs—currently active in 22 states and Puerto Rico—are state-controlled, volunteer military forces authorized by federal law but funded and organized by their respective states. Composed largely of former service members, professionals, and civic-minded citizens, these units conduct emergency management training and assist during disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, and the 2014 Buffalo blizzard. The article traces their historical roots from colonial militias to the Home Guards of World War I, the State Guards of World War II, and their modern reactivation during the Cold War and post-9/11 era. Freedman criticizes the Pentagon’s lack of cooperation, citing the 2011 revision of National Guard Bureau Regulation 10-4, which curtailed support for SDFs and excluded them from joint operations and federal training programs. He calls for reforms to reintegrate SDFs into national defense planning, provide access to training and surplus equipment, and expand recruitment to include specialist units in medical, legal, and communications fields. Freedman concludes that empowering SDFs would not only strengthen homeland defense and disaster readiness at minimal cost but also preserve America’s citizen-soldier tradition by reconnecting ordinary citizens with military service at the state level.
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