The “U.S. Home Defense Force Study” (1981), commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense, evaluates the feasibility of establishing state-level Home Defense Forces—modern successors to the World War II State Guards—to enhance America’s domestic security during national emergencies. The study was prompted by concerns that the Total Force Policy, which integrates the National Guard into federal missions, leaves states vulnerable when Guard units are deployed overseas. It provides a detailed review of legal authorities under Title 32 U.S. Code §109, organizational options, cost projections, and operational roles for such forces. The report recommends that each state maintain a trained, governor-controlled volunteer force capable of performing internal security, disaster response, communications, and logistics missions in coordination with the National Guard Bureau and U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). It also outlines personnel recruitment strategies emphasizing veterans, retired officers, and civilian professionals, while warning that without federal policy alignment, state forces risk inconsistency and underutilization. The study concludes that revitalizing Home Defense Forces would provide the nation with a low-cost, reliable, and decentralized reserve system, ensuring domestic readiness during wartime mobilizations or large-scale disasters while reinforcing constitutional principles of state military authority.
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