Over the course of December and the months leading up to it, the staff and contributors of The Center for State Defense Force History delivered truly exceptional work preserving the legacy of America’s State Defense Forces. Drawing on contributions from multiple states, the team has carefully digitized historical articles, photographs, organizational documents, leadership records, and rare publications that might otherwise have been lost to the sands of time. This sustained effort reflects a long term commitment to safeguarding State Defense Force history and ensuring that future generations of researchers, service members, and the public have access to accurate, primary source material documenting these organizations.
Central to this effort is the leadership of Adam Gonzales, Director of The Center for State Defense Force History and an officer in the Texas State Guard. Under his direction, the project has grown into a serious historical archive, combining scholarly discipline with practical experience from within the State Defense Force community. The work spans multiple eras and states, linking organizational structure, unit lineage, and command history into a cohesive and expanding historical record that underscores the enduring role of State Defense Forces in domestic security and state service.
During December specifically, the staff made substantial additions to the archive. These contributions included an extensive series of Massachusetts State Guard articles detailing mission statements, staff organization, division and brigade headquarters, and specialized units such as the 1st Motor Squadron and headquarters service elements of the 2nd Division. The team also preserved rare Maryland State Guard material from the World War I period, including a historical book covering the 2nd Infantry (1917–1920) and its table of organization, documents that provide rare insight into early State Guard structure and wartime responsibilities. In addition, leadership and command history from the New Mexico State Defense Force was documented, capturing official changes of command and senior leadership appointments that are often underrepresented in public historical records.
All of this work is available through sdfhistory.org. At present, access to these documents, After Action Reports, images, videos, and historical books is limited to Patreon members. This support allows us to compensate staff for the time and expertise required to collect and digitize these materials, while also covering hosting, website management, and domain costs. Our long-term goal is to make this entire archive freely accessible to everyone, and we hope to achieve that following our annual fundraiser, which is intended to cover all operating costs for 2026–2027 and beyond.
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