In his 1984 article, “State Defense Forces: The Missing Link in National Security” , George J. Stein argues that the U.S. militia system’s basic philosophy has become “self-contradictory”. He highlights the fundamental conflict between the Army National Guard’s (ARNG) traditional role as a state militia for disaster relief and constabulary duties and its modern, essential role as a primary augmentation force for the Active Army under the “Total Force” doctrine. Stein warns that in the event of a national mobilization, the ARNG’s critical federal mission would leave states “literally defenseless” and unable to respond to their own domestic crises, creating a “security nightmare”. He posits that State Defense Forces (SDFs) , which federal law permits states to organize and fund , are the necessary solution to provide internal security and replace the Guard units once they are federalized. The article traces the history of similar “Home Guard” units during WWI and WWII and examines the contemporary (1984) push by the National Guard Bureau to establish coherent SDF cadres to fill this critical gap in domestic security.
This historical article is available exclusively to our Patreon members at the Private Tier ($1) and above, as our way of thanking them for their incredible support in keeping StateDefenseForce.com online and thriving. Their contributions directly fund our web hosting and domain costs, our web designer and maintainer, and the dedicated staff of The Center for State Defense Force History who research, obtain, and post these valuable historical documents. Thanks to their continued generosity, we’re able to preserve and share the legacy of America’s State Defense Forces while expanding our mission to educate the public and strengthen support for these vital organizations nationwide.
Click Here to Join Our Patreon Program or Upgrade Your Membership