Over the past few weeks we reported on Winter Storm Fern and how it tore across large portions of the United States, bringing with it crippling snowfall, sheets of ice, sub-freezing temperatures, and widespread power outages that left communities paralyz ...
From Oath to Training: The Georgia State Defense Force Prepares Its Next Generation of Soldiers
Over the past several days, we highlighted a significant milestone for the Georgia State Defense Force with the successful graduation of its most recent Initial Entry Training (IET), commonly referred to as Basic Training. Those newly graduated soldiers ...
SDF Public Affairs Teams Highlight State Defense Force Mission Contributions During Winter Storm Fern & Winter Bomb Cyclone
Our recent coverage of Winter Storm Fern and the powerful Bomb Cyclone that followed documented one of the most destructive and wide reaching winter weather events to strike the Southeastern United States in years. Together, these systems brought histori ...
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 ...
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 ...
Virginia Defense Force Participates in Historic Inauguration of the Commonwealth’s 75th Governor
The Commonwealth of Virginia marked a significant moment in its history with the inauguration of Abigail Spanbergeras the 75th Governor of Virginia on January 17, 2026, in Richmond. The ceremony reflected both the traditions of the Commonwealth and the c ...










