Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF)

[etodd]

Interesting:

The Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF) is the all-volunteer, uniformed, unpaid branch of the Georgia Department of Defense, which includes the Army and Air National Guard. The State Defense Force allows veterans and those who have never served in the armed forces the opportunity for uniformed service to help their fellow citizens.

http://clark.com/clark-cares/georgia-state-defense-force/

[Eclipse]

Because?

Lots of states have SDFs

[etodd]

Because?

Lots of states have SDFs

Interesting to me anyway, because I did not realize it was a common 'thing'.  Maybe I'm the only one. Carry on. LOL

[Eclipse]

Search is your friend...

[Jester]

Mississippi has one but it's Armyish. They don't have weapons to my knowledge but have MPs, which always made me scratch my head as to how that worked.

[Eclipse]

Wiki says 22 states have active SDFs, with nearly all of them having laws authorizing them.  Heck, my state technically has a Navy!

I think there may also be some militias referring to themselves as SDFs without the legal connection as well.

[Luis R. Ramos]

New York State has a State Guard. See http://dmna.ny.gov/nyg/http://dmna.ny.gov/nyg/

If needed, they answer to the state Division of Military Affairs. They are volunteers, unpaid, and unarmed. However after 11 Sept they were armed for a short period and patrolled transportation centers with New York National Guard units.

[Holding Pattern]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_defense_force

[KASSRCrashResearch]

Yeah, I am in the process of joining the Indiana Guard Reserve because they have a funeral honors team.  That, medical support and the search and rescue unit (think CAP GT but with fewer operational restrictions) are my main interests.  I think we have to weapons qualify each year but I don't really care either way.

[Paul Creed III]

Wiki says 22 states have active SDFs, with nearly all of them having laws authorizing them.  Heck, my state technically has a Navy!

I think there may also be some militias referring to themselves as SDFs without the legal connection as well.

Ohio has a Navy as well.

http://navalmilitia.ohio.gov/

[stillamarine]

Because?

Lots of states have SDFs

Interesting to me anyway, because I did not realize it was a common 'thing'.  Maybe I'm the only one. Carry on. LOL

You realize your state has one right?

[Ozzy]

New York State has a State Guard. See http://dmna.ny.gov/nyg/http://dmna.ny.gov/nyg/

If needed, they answer to the state Division of Military Affairs. They are volunteers, unpaid, and unarmed. However after 11 Sept they were armed for a short period and patrolled transportation centers with New York National Guard units.

They can be paid, it depends on the duty they are called up for.

[Luis R. Ramos]

We know. It is like other volunteer state security forces.

Not called up, they can train, but not paid. They are called up, they get paid.

I am pretty sure that other state guards are set up the same way.

[etodd]

Because?

Lots of states have SDFs

Interesting to me anyway, because I did not realize it was a common 'thing'.  Maybe I'm the only one. Carry on. LOL

You realize your state has one right?

Yes ... and No.  It was disbanded. But a small group of folks started up a different version.

As recently as April 2013, the ASDF was still seeking applicants,[10] but as of November 2013, it was stood down.[11]

After the Alabama State Defense Force was disbanded, some of its former members formed the Alabama Volunteers as a private organization organized under the Alabama State Defense Force Association, in order to continue their volunteer service in disaster relief efforts until the ALSDF is reactivated.[12] In Southern Alabama, the U.S. National Reserve Corps was started with members from the ASDF, this national organization also consists of volunteers dedicated to service in disaster relief efforts and participated with the Red Cross in 2014 in damage assessment in Baldwin County.

[PhoenixRisen]

Back in California, I was looking at joining the California State Military Reserve (linky) before I relocated.  From talking to those "in the know", I've always been told that the CSMR is certainly among the "model SDFs" out there, alongside the Texas State Guard (another linky).  Both forces actively provide force multiplier support for their respective state's Army and Air Guard's, and I've met members of both who have done some awesome stuff in support of their state, such as range / firearms training support (California) and security forces support (Texas).

[Phillip]

A few years ago (2006), I looked into joining the NM State Defense Force.  Didn't know it existed until I saw a short news article about it in the local paper.  Looked into it a bit further and went to a meeting of the nearest unit.  The people were nice, well meaning folks with nearly all of them being prior service of some sort.  Didn't join as I found the organization as a whole to be dramatically disorganized and with nearly no official documents other than a simple page on the official state National Guard website.  A few months later, I joined CAP instead.

NM still has an SDF and it appears better organized now, but still appears to largely be an afterthought within the State Department of Military Affairs.

[SAREXinNY]

I called, and called, and called trying to get into the NY Guard. It was like pulling teeth trying to recruit myself.  So I joined CAP instead.  It's probably for the best.  The closest unit was an engineering unit and I can barely change a light bulb.

[RRLE]

Wiki says 22 states have active SDFs, with nearly all of them having laws authorizing them.  Heck, my state technically has a Navy!

I think Wiki is counting states that authorize a SDF/State Guard etc. The State Guard Association of the US (SGAUS) only lists 17 (including PR) on its State Commanders page.

Under Florida Statute 251, Florida can have a SDF but it hasn't had one in eons. By Statute 250, it could also have a Naval Militia and Marine Corps, but it doesn't.

Many SDFs were disbanded and/or put on hiatus the last several years. NY may have been one of them. MA has been in and out of active status.

[RNOfficer]

Back in California, I was looking at joining the California State Military Reserve (linky) before I relocated.  From talking to those "in the know", I've always been told that the CSMR is certainly among the "model SDFs" out there, alongside the Texas State Guard (another linky).  Both forces actively provide force multiplier support for their respective state's Army and Air Guard's, and I've met members of both who have done some awesome stuff in support of their state, such as range / firearms training support (California) and security forces support (Texas).

I've heard anyone speak of the CSMR positively. It gives out Lt Colonelcies by the blushful to even minor politicians and judges. The CSMR director of the state military museum  had a fake doctoral degree, and, to my knowledge members are not permitted or trained with any weapons. I don't understand how a body could be a "military reserve" when they have  no weapons training AND they accept those with no prior military service without providing  their own boot camp. Indeed of the several Lt Cols I know, only one has any prior.

[PHall]

Back in California, I was looking at joining the California State Military Reserve (linky) before I relocated.  From talking to those "in the know", I've always been told that the CSMR is certainly among the "model SDFs" out there, alongside the Texas State Guard (another linky).  Both forces actively provide force multiplier support for their respective state's Army and Air Guard's, and I've met members of both who have done some awesome stuff in support of their state, such as range / firearms training support (California) and security forces support (Texas).

I've heard anyone speak of the CSMR positively. It gives out Lt Colonelcies by the blushful to even minor politicians and judges. The CSMR director of the state military museum  had a fake doctoral degree, and, to my knowledge members are not permitted or trained with any weapons. I don't understand how a body could be a "military reserve" when they have  no weapons training AND they accept those with no prior military service without providing  their own boot camp. Indeed of the several Lt Cols I know, only one has any prior.

Yeah, you might want to do a bit of research before you trash the CSMR. It may have been as you describe 20 years ago, but that's not how it is today.
Or you can ask the Commander of the 100th Troop Command, CSMR. He's here on CAPTalk, COL Ned Lee.

[KASSRCrashResearch]

It gives out Lt Colonelcies by the blushful to even minor politicians and judges

Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't CAP do something similar with legislators? I seem to recall hearing something about that but never dug into the details because I don't really care.

As for "having prior service", even as someone who served, I don't think it really matters that much.  You can have great leadership from someone who never went in and you can have crap leadership from someone who served 20+ years.  Especially if they were in fields that do not get anywhere near anything that a reasonable person would consider "military".

[Treadhead]

Back in California, I was looking at joining the California State Military Reserve (linky) before I relocated.  From talking to those "in the know", I've always been told that the CSMR is certainly among the "model SDFs" out there, alongside the Texas State Guard (another linky).  Both forces actively provide force multiplier support for their respective state's Army and Air Guard's, and I've met members of both who have done some awesome stuff in support of their state, such as range / firearms training support (California) and security forces support (Texas).

I've heard anyone speak of the CSMR positively. It gives out Lt Colonelcies by the blushful to even minor politicians and judges. The CSMR director of the state military museum  had a fake doctoral degree, and, to my knowledge members are not permitted or trained with any weapons. I don't understand how a body could be a "military reserve" when they have  no weapons training AND they accept those with no prior military service without providing  their own boot camp. Indeed of the several Lt Cols I know, only one has any prior.

Yeah, you might want to do a bit of research before you trash the CSMR. It may have been as you describe 20 years ago, but that's not how it is today.
Or you can ask the Commander of the 100th Troop Command, CSMR. He's here on CAPTalk, COL Ned Lee.

I fully agree. I'm currently in the CSMR and they are one of the most professional SDF's in the nation.  I don't know about handing out silver oak leaves like they were candy -- there were a lot of disappointed Majors after the last promotion board.  You earn your rank in the CSMR.  Nothing is handed to you.

[JK657]

I'll have to disagree with you there on CSMR "earning" their rank. I've sat on promotion boards for the CSMR and the requirements were quite literally a joke.

[PA Guy]

I'll have to disagree with you there on CSMR "earning" their rank. I've sat on promotion boards for the CSMR and the requirements were quite literally a joke.

During what time period did you sit on these boards and where? Were they enlisted or officer?

[CyBorgII]

The Indiana Guard Reserve tried to recruit me around the same time I joined CAP, mid-1993.

They had an "Air Wing" at that time, which was supposed to man the ANG bases at Fort Wayne and Terre Haute in the event of those units being called into federal service.

Personally, I do not see how that could have happened, given that the IGR/AW was miniscule.

I was very interested in the Air Wing, but they never got back to me.

The only time after that I saw an IGR/AW person was a 1st Lieutenant at the former Grissom AFB when I was in CAP...and he had at least as many uniform no-nos as CAP is often accused of having.

However, the "Army" part was really after me and offered me Warrant Officer 1 due to the fact that I had a degree in a technical field, but when I joined CAP they said I could not hold dual membership.

At the risk of being accused of being "bitter"  , had I known now what I knew then it probably would have been better for me to have gone with the IGR, but the fact is that my first CAP unit, where I put in six years' service, was indeed a good-to-go unit where I made a lot of good friends and had a lot of accomplishments.

Interestingly, years later I remember talking to an ANG SMSgt about the loss of the IGR/AW.  He said, "well, I thought the Civil Air Patrol would backfill us anyway."

Direct quote.

[jjmalott]

I was an officer in the IGR for six years and held dual memberships. Many times I had drill weekend the same time as Wing staff meetings. I'd be at wing HQ in the early am and then head on over to Stout for the IGR. Both units served the people of Indiana and both did it very well. I finally had to decide on which to stay in.

[zippy]

The Georgia DF like other State Guards use Federal Facilities such as Ft Gordon and Ft Stewart.
The Texas State Guard Air component is stationed at Lackland AFB. The 449th Air Support Group is at Lackland and is being used as a showpiece unit.

The Air State Guard at Lackland often train in AF aircraft. Most serve in communications, weather, electronics, etc. They try to match civilian skills with military jobs.

The Texas State Guard Air component consists of the following Wings:
4th Air Wing
5th Air Wing

[JK657]

I'll have to disagree with you there on CSMR "earning" their rank. I've sat on promotion boards for the CSMR and the requirements were quite literally a joke.

During what time period did you sit on these boards and where? Were they enlisted or officer?

About three years ago on the Officer board

[CyBorgII]

I was an officer in the IGR for six years and held dual memberships. Many times I had drill weekend the same time as Wing staff meetings. I'd be at wing HQ in the early am and then head on over to Stout for the IGR. Both units served the people of Indiana and both did it very well. I finally had to decide on which to stay in.

Obviously membership standards in the IGR changed.  They told me I could not hold dual membership, but this was almost 25 years ago.

You must have shelled out a small fortune for uniforms.

I have heard that the IGR is one of the more good-to-go SDF's.  Again, makes me wish I would have taken them up on their offer, especially since promotions within the WO tier tend to be a lot more focussed on skill sets, from what I know.  I had a Michigan ArNG Lt Col tell me he wished he were a Warrant.

[CyBorgII]

The Georgia DF like other State Guards use Federal Facilities such as Ft Gordon and Ft Stewart.
The Texas State Guard Air component is stationed at Lackland AFB. The 449th Air Support Group is at Lackland and is being used as a showpiece unit.

The Air State Guard at Lackland often train in AF aircraft. Most serve in communications, weather, electronics, etc. They try to match civilian skills with military jobs.

The Texas State Guard Air component consists of the following Wings:
4th Air Wing
5th Air Wing

Texas is one of the only SDF's to have an Air component.  New York and Indiana used to.  I think California does.

Being based at Lackland, I wonder if they have MTI's available to gently indoctrinate  new State Airmen.