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
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Here are the articles contained within the State Defense Force Journal, Vol. 1, Issue 1, Fall 2005 along with a one-sentence summary for each: America’s State Defense Forces: An Historical Component of National Defense by Dr. Kent G. Sieg — Traces the origins and constitutional basis of State Defense Forces as descendants of early American
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The article “A Condensed History of California’s State Defense Forces” by SSgt. D. Carl Ehlig provides a detailed chronological overview of the evolution of California’s state military organizations from their early militia roots to the modern California State Military Reserve. It begins by tracing the origins of state defense forces to the 1940 National Defense
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The article “Maryland Defense Force 10th Medical Regiment: Past, Present and Future” chronicles the evolution of the Maryland Defense Force’s (MDDF) medical component from its limited aid-station beginnings to becoming one of the most advanced State Defense Force medical units in the nation. It details how leadership under Brigadier Generals Barranco, Lucas, Smalkin, and Wilson
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The June 1943 inaugural issue of The Guardsman, the official newsletter of the Texas Defense Guard (later known as the Texas State Guard), provides an insightful look into the Guard’s mission, growth, and activities during World War II. It opens with a foreword highlighting the Guard’s vital role in defending the home front while the National
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This article, “Homeland Defense: The Pennsylvania State Guard, 1941–1953,” written by Lieutenant Colonel Brent C. Bankus, provides a detailed historical overview of the Pennsylvania State Guard’s creation, missions, and contributions during World War II and the Korean War. It explains how, after the National Guard was federalized for overseas deployment, Pennsylvania organized the Pennsylvania Reserve Defense Corps
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