Pro-Government Militias
State Defence Forces (United States)
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 393 |
| Country: | United States |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1980 |
| Details of Formation: | Established in the early 1980s as volunteer auxiliaries of state National Guards, amid fears that a state's entire National Guard could be sent to a conflict overseas, leaving the home front unprotected. The unarmed state "defense force" or "state guard" units were modeled after citizen brigades organized during the two world wars to patrol armories and handle the absent National Guard's duties in the event of a riot or natural disaster. Only the Alaskan forces are armed, although evidence suggests many units armed themselves. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Details of Termination: | Still existed in 2007 |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Government Relation: | type2 |
| Government Link(s): | state/military institution; sub-national government |
| Training and Equipment | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations | yes |
| Shared personnel | no |
| Types of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): | |
| Membership: | professional group; ex soldiers; workers |
| Location: | Nationwide |
| Force Strength: | [11000, 11611] |
| Target(s): | no information |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; protect property and investment; self-defense and security |
| Other Information: | Defence forces by state (2003): Alabama 400, Alaska 267, California 492, Georgia 650, Indiana 315, Maryland 200, Michigan 17, Mississippi 300, New Mexico 300, New York 1,200, North Carolina 65, Ohio 629, Oregon 185, Puerto Rico 1,650, South Carolina 1,350, Tennessee 925, Texas 1,518, Vermont 300 Virginia 800, Washington 48. Total 11,611 |
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.