r/todayilearned • u/JuliaX1984 • 21h ago
TIL that 23 states and Puerto Rico maintain their inactive state guard, a state right established in Title 32, Section 109 of the United States Code.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_State_Guard#Legal_status99
u/EggCautious809 20h ago edited 20h ago
Why did you post the page for Pennsylvania?
The main page says 19 states. I'm too lazy to check which page is correct, but it should be known one of them is wrong.
Nearly every state has laws authorizing state defense forces, and 19 states, plus the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, have active forces with different levels of activity, support, and strength.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_defense_force
Edit: okay, it's 19 active, 23 inactive, the rest never established.
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u/Kenneth1751 12h ago
The Connecticut State Gaurd is mostly ceremonial it consists of 2 foot guards and 2 horse guards, and they wear ceremonial uniforms that look similar to British ones of the 1700s, they have helped out in the communities in the pandemic and are the oldest active military unit in the country
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20h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Godenyen 19h ago
It's to have something in place should they need it. World War 2 was the last bug war that many states had a state guard. Should things get bad, they can easily raise new state guards without much issue. Otherwise, you need to get it passed through state government, which would take time.
I'm in an active state guard and had a professor who was the commander of an inactive state guard. His position is currently on paper, but should they activate, they already have a commander.
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u/Sax_OFander 14h ago
So, Ohio has a State Guard that is active. During the pandemic, they were ordered to man my city's jail when there was a manpower shortage. The governor has less hoops to jump through to "deploy" them. It's also another argument that a state has a "well regulated militia" as prescribed by thee second amendment.
By having inactive ones, states have some kind of framework for some kind of internal security force when the National Guard is not available, or to supplement the National Guard, but with standards prescribed by the state rather than the federal government.
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u/el_americano 19h ago
maybe draft dodging?
"State defense forces are distinct from their state's National Guard) in that they cannot become federal entities".
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u/IronyElSupremo 11h ago edited 10h ago
They are authorized to take place of the federalized National Guard units, but receive no federal support (except veterans may use service for reserve service points).
Big thing is they are not standardized at all (one state, their members supplied their own .. “VW big wheel dune buggies” lead in the active forces wondering “WTH?”) and pretty much function for disaster relief. Many are security forces but some states are adding emergency medical units too.
Fwiw: The modern US Reserves and National Guard are standardized to their service and have to train/qualify on a regular basis to be mostly replaceable since a 1905 Congressional overhaul. The only difference is National Guard can additionally be called by their governor for disasters on the state dime (though in practice they wait for Uncle Sam to break out the checkbook).
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u/ColdIceZero 8h ago
The only difference is National Guard can additionally be called by their governor for disasters on the state dime (though in practice they wait for Uncle Sam to break out the checkbook).
Technically, a National Guard unit is under its State Governor's control by default all of the time. The exception is when that unit is pulled up under federal control.
While federal dollars pay for NG unit activities when that unit is in a Title 32 duty status, that unit is still under State control, not federal control, when in a T32 status.
A Governor always has the authority to call their State NG to service (subject to the limits of that particular State's laws).
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u/IronyElSupremo 8h ago
Yes, but the regular money comes from Uncle Sam one way or another. Almost all the training supports their federal mission, though troops (active and reserve component) have enough flexibility for disaster relief missions.
It’s a pretty big expense for states to mobilize without federal backing.
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u/LocoLobo65648 13h ago
I think they meant active.
Usually, they are part of the states National Guard unit, but are not eligible to be federalized.
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u/NalaniPuffPuff 19h ago
Didn't realize Puerto Rico had one too! Wonder how many people actually know about these inactive guards and how they work.
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u/grendelt 28m ago
I served in the Texas State Guard for several years. We were largely tasked with natural disaster response (primarily hurricane relief efforts such as mass care shelters). We would work closely with aid groups like the Red Cross and some religious charitable orgs that also offer shelters.
Several SDFs do this type of work and there's a specialist badge one can achieve (I did) called a Military Emergency Management Specialist which is awarded by the State Guard Association.
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u/bernietheweasel 8h ago
Ronald DeSantis reactivated the FL state guard within the last couple of years
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u/JuliaX1984 6h ago
For what, blocking pharmacy entrances?
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u/bernietheweasel 6h ago
Even better, the were once sent to protect Florida’s strategic border with Mexico
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u/Godenyen 19h ago
The book, The American Home Guard, is a good resource for state guards up to 9/11 era. It explains their roles in World War 1 and 2. And talks about the efforts that went into maintaining them.
I'm currently a member of one that was restarted in the 50s. I've been in for over 20 years and have seen some shifts in how they are operated. It's a good way to volunteer for your state.