The article “The Role of State Defense Forces in Homeland Security” by COL John R. Brinkerhoff (USA-Ret.) argues that State Defense Forces (SDFs) are a vital yet underutilized component of America’s homeland security framework. It explains that SDFs serve as organized, armed, and disciplined state troops available to governors when the National Guard is federalized or overstretched, providing critical support during disasters, wars, and terrorist incidents. The article traces the legal and historical basis of SDFs from the National Defense Act of 1916 through World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and their Cold War revival, showing their repeated dissolution and reactivation depending on national security needs. In the post-9/11 era, Brinkerhoff highlights the renewed importance of SDFs in addressing catastrophic threats such as terrorist attacks or weapons of mass destruction, given that local law enforcement and the National Guard alone may be insufficient. He concludes that expanding and strengthening SDFs nationwide would offer governors a low-cost, volunteer-based, and effective force multiplier to maintain civil order, support emergency management, and reinforce homeland defense.
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