StateDefenseForce.com has been researching The Florida State Guard since the announcement of its re-activation from earlier this year. We have had some contact with their Public Affairs division however it has been a struggle to obtain information or setup an interview. Communication with their department has been unreliable, at best.
Recently we discovered Florida State Guard members will not wear a military uniform, members will wear khaki pants and a polo instead. The Florida State Guard would be the only State Guard to wear a non-military uniform, however this correlates though with their status as a civilian force. The Florida State Guard was re-activated earlier this year as a State Guard / Defense Force under Federal law 32 U.S.C. s.109, which lists such forces as State Military, but unfortunately the force was still designated as a civilian agency.
Another piece of information we were informed is that Lt. Col. Chris Graham is no longer the Commanding Officer of the force, he has been replaced by another individual. We are working to confirm this information.
This designation provides a number of liabilities to the Florida State Guard and reduces its capabilities. Being designated as a civilian force, The Florida State Guard cannot adhere to the military chain of command, nor is it held to the same military laws & regulations that govern The National Guard. These are very important elements as they ensure that The State Guard works properly when tasked with a mission, especially in Joint Task Force missions with The National Guard. Without a chain of command, or military regulations being applied to every member of the force, volunteers can simply quit a mission at any moment. This is a serious liability especially if The Florida State Guard is given similar missions to other State Defense Forces such as Shelter Management, Point Of Distribution (POD), Search & Rescue, etc.. With the possibility that members can simply leave the mission without repercussion would not only endanger lives but would see the force as being unreliable in the eyes of The National Guard.
Every State Defense Force in the country is classified as a military force and subject to the same military laws & regulations as The National Guard. They are taught the chain of command and how this functions within their units so when given an order by a National Guard Soldier or Officer they follow such orders.
Given the designation as a Civilian Force, the usage of Khaki Pants & Polo as a uniform, possible change in leadership and the lack of information coming from their Public Affairs department, would you join The Florida State Guard?
Yes
No
