Throughout the decades, we’ve seen State Defense Forces rise, fall, or remain stagnant in the missions they perform, the training they employ, and the level of importance they hold within their state’s emergency response system. Some states, like The New York Guard, took on a more active role in homeland defense, becoming part of an elite National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, High-Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) following the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. They went on to conduct real-world missions that had the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives.
Other states, such as The South Carolina State Guard, have grown their force and expanded their mission set to standards that rival even the largest State Defense Forces. The Guard performs law enforcement augmentation during natural disasters and statewide emergencies, with soldiers trained and certified by police and military instructors to carry out policing actions. Their efforts didn’t stop there—after seeing the South Carolina Department of Corrections struggle with staffing shortages, the State Guard stepped in by providing exterior security at correctional facilities across the state.
These states are not the exception. Many State Defense Forces are taking on critical missions such as cyber defense, relying on soldiers whose civilian careers include work as network engineers, cybersecurity specialists, and IT technicians. These troops augment National Guard Cyber Defense missions throughout the nation and have become a vital component of statewide cyber capabilities.
Other forces, like The California State Guard, have expanded their mission capabilities to an extent that astonishes many in the State Defense Force community. Their elite 40th Support Group—composed of prior-service U.S. military veterans and police officers—trains National Guard units on small-arms proficiency. They have also built a maritime component with several vessels, including the recently launched “Sacramento,” which operates alongside the 129th Rescue Wing, the 131st Pararescue Squadron, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Their maritime units support missions ranging from search and rescue to maritime security during large-scale naval events, and they assist the Coast Guard whenever additional resources are needed. This is in addition to their wildland firefighting unit, part of the Joint Task Force Rattlesnake, composed of California State Guard, California Army National Guard, Air National Guard, and CAL FIRE personnel. Recent reports indicate that The California State Guard is nearing 1,000 trained and certified soldiers ready to respond to wildland fires across the state.
There are many more State Defense Forces following this path of growth and mission expansion. However, a smaller number have not progressed as quickly. Some remain stagnant, with little to no publicly communicated training or mission activity. Sources inside several of these organizations—which we will not name—say their missions remain very basic, such as emergency radio network operations or Point of Distribution missions, and in some cases, they perform even less.
We want to ask you, the community, in this week’s poll:
What do you believe leads to a successful and active State Defense Force?
- A Commanding General Who Provides Strong Leadership and Clears Bureaucratic Barriers to Mission Success
- A Strong Leadership Staff within The State Defense Force That Is Able to Develop, Plan, and Execute Large-Scale Training Events
- A Adjutant General (Senior National Guard General of The State) Who Is Supportive of The State Defense Force
- A Fiscal Budget From The State That Allows The State Defense Force To Be Properly Equipped and Supplied
- A State Defense Force That Has a Size Large Enough to be of Benefit to The National Guard & State Agencies
- A Clear & Critical Mission Set Defined By The Military Department & Adjutant General
- Working with The National Guard on Multiple Joint Task Force Missions
- A Well-Structured Training Program Created by the State Defense Force or National Guard to Support Assigned Missions
- A Long, Robust and Challenging Initial Entry Training (Basic Training) For New Recruits