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 ...
Georgia State Defense Force Strengthens Force With New Basic Training Graduates
While portions of the Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF) were called to State Active Duty in response to Winter Storm Fern and the powerful Bomb Cyclone that followed, the organization continued to advance one of its most important missions: training and ...
From Ice to Recovery: State Defense Forces Assist Communities After Fern and Bomb Cyclone
We continue our coverage of the severe winter weather storms that swept across large portions of the United States, beginning with Winter Storm Fern and followed almost immediately by a powerful bomb cyclone that intensified conditions across the southea ...
Governor McMaster’s Final State of the State Address Reflects a Legacy of Commitment to the South Carolina State Guard
January 28, 2026, marked a historic moment in South Carolina political life as Governor Henry McMaster delivered his final State of the State address. After nearly a decade serving as the state’s chief executive and acting as Commander in Chief of the So ...
No Visibility, No Force: How Social Media Determines a State Defense Force Survival
In this Episode 10 clip of Scuttlebutt, Jean Marciniak, Major General (TX - Retired) Anthony Woods & Major (GA-Retired) examine what led to the disbandment of four State Defense Forces in just a decade and zero in on a key lesson: visibility matters. ...
Winter Storm Fern Response Ongoing as State Defense Forces and National Guard Prepare for Additional Weather Threats
The other day, we reported that multiple State Defense Forces and National Guard units had been activated as Winter Storm Fern, an expansive arctic system, swept across the United States, leaving millions of households without power and plunging wide reg ...
Scuttlebutt 10 Released! What Led To The Disbandment of 4 State Defense Forces in Only 10 Years?
Major (GA-Retired) Beverly Shepard, one of the best Public Affairs Officers in The Country. Together, they break down how the Massachusetts State Defense Force, Missouri State Guard, Alabama State Defense Force, and Oregon Defense Force were disbanded wi ...
State Defense Forces and National Guard Mobilize as Major Winter Storm Slams the United States
A powerful and fast-moving winter storm system has swept across large portions of the United States, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain, ice accumulation, and dangerously cold temperatures to millions of Americans. The storm developed as a strong Arctic ...
Scuttlebutt Podcast Welcomes Major General Anthony Woods as new Co-Host and Live Episode Airing Tomorrow!
Tomorrow, the Scuttlebutt podcast returns with a new episode and an important transition in how the show is hosted and led. Episode 11 will be streamed live on YouTube on January 25th at 3:00 PM EST, continuing the podcast’s focus on in-de ...
State Defense Force Online Store Unveils Faster, More Secure Website
We’re excited to announce the launch of the newly redesigned State Defense Force Online Store, the result of a full, ground-up overhaul of the site’s entire codebase by our staff. This was not a cosmetic refresh, but a comprehensive rebuild focused on pe ...










