State Guard Association of the United States

State Guard Association of the United States

Abbreviation	SGAUS
Formation	1985
Legal status	501(c)(6)[1]
Purpose	"Advocating for the advancement and support of regulated state military forces"[2]
Headquarters	PO Box 1416 Fayetteville, GA 30214
Location	Fayetteville, Georgia
Region served	United States of America
Membership	3,000
President	BG Charles Edwards (2010~Present)[3]
Website	http://www.sgaus.org

The State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS) is a non-profit organization advocating for the advancement and support of regulated state military forces, as established by state governments under the authority of federal law.^[4] The SGAUS encourages the establishment and advancement of regulated state forces through lobbying and affiliation with independent state associations. There were twenty-two independent SGAUS recognized state associations in 2008. State associations are separate entities--typically 501(c)(3) corporations--and are not components of the SGAUS corporation, the SGAUS Foundation, or the respective states. When petitioned, the SGAUS recognizes lawful, state-level associations with twenty-five or more members who are seeking to establish State Defense Forces.^[5]

History of SDF's and SGAUS

From its founding until the early 1900s, the United States maintained only a minimal army and relied on state militias to supply the majority of its troops.^[6] In 1903, the predecessor to the modern-day National Guard was formed to augment the militia and Regular Army with a federally controlled reserve force. In 1933, Congress finalized the split between the National Guard and the State Defense Forces by mandating that all federally funded soldiers take a dual enlistment/commission and thus enter both the state National Guard and the National Guard of the United States (a branch of the federal reserves). This division forced states to maintain both a National Guard and a State Defense Force if they desired to have non-federal soldiers. During World War II, much of the National Guard was deployed on federal duty. Many states continued to maintain distinct state militias (some building on ones that never ceased to exist) to defend their own territories and shorelines. In the 1980s, many State Defense Forces began to be reformed and activated.^[7] As a result, the State Defense Force Association of the United States was formed in 1985. The name was later changed in 1993 to the State Guard Association of the United States. As of 2008, the SGAUS had grown to members from thirty-three states and territories, and consisted of twenty-two separate state associations.^[8]

SGAUS Foundation, Inc.

In 2006, the SGAUS Board of Directors created the SGAUS Foundation as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to focus on education, public awareness, and outreach programs that support the advancement and support of regulated State Defense Forces. A current list of SGAUS foundation officers can be found on the SGAUS website's Leadership page.^[9]

Training and certification programs

The SGAUS offers various certification programs for its members.

Military Emergency Management Specialist program

Basic MEMS badge

The SGAUS Military Emergency Management Specialist (MEMS) program was created in 1998.^[10] The program is structured around the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). The MEMS program curriculum includes online Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) NIMS and ISC courses offered free of charge through FEMA's Emergency Management Institute's (EMI) Independent Study Program. In addition to online FEMA courses, students are required to complete operational practicums that incorporate the learning objectives of the online FEMA courses.

The MEMS Academy curricula are based on the idea of developing areas of common knowledge required at different levels of responsibility in emergency response and use accepted, validated courses available throughout the nation. The principle behind the several MEMS curricula is that individuals with Basic MEMS qualification will have operational understanding of the principles of emergency management, including mitigation, preparedness, emergency response and recovery and have knowledge, skills and abilities needed to effectively work within a comprehensive emergency management operation. Those with Senior and Master level qualification will be able to lead and plan incident response efforts of increasing complexity.

Discontinued MEMS Command and Staff College Unit Citation

Certification in the MEMS program consists of three levels: basic, senior, and master, with traditional military style badges awarded to students upon completion of each level. In addition to the badges, those students who participate in operational missions may be awarded a distinctive flash, which is worn behind the badge.

For a short time, there was a MEMS Command and Staff College operated by the SGAUS. Students who successfully completed this program were awarded the MEMS Command and Staff College Unit Citation.^[11]

Chaplain’s School and College

The SGAUS Chaplain School and College provides materials of study, discussion forums, and classroom training related to field of military chaplaincy for State Defense Force chaplains and chaplain assistants.^[12]

Provisional, non-profit, and other volunteer groups

A limited number of groups have not achieved state recognition as State Defense Forces and have lingered for years as “provisional” or "non-profit" groups. Past-SGAUS recognition of these groups has generated dissent with some SGAUS members. These groups which are not recognized in their states as SDF's have modeled themselves after regulated State Defense Forces by assigning ranks, wearing uniforms, and conducting training operations. Groups that identify themselves as “provisional” or "non-profit" included the Florida Defense Forces Association Inc.,^[13] the District of Columbia Defense Force Association, Inc.,^[14] the North Carolina State Guard Association, Inc.,^[15] and the Colorado Defense Force (Provisional).^[16] Some non-state recognized groups have found other missions that support their communities.

Legislative efforts

The organization has supported several legislative efforts related to the establishment or support of State Defense Forces:

• (dead) HR 206 State Defense Force Improvement Act, 2009, 111th Congress^[17]
• (removed by committee) HR 5658 Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act FY09, 2008, 110th Congress^[18]
• (dead) HR 826 State Defense Force Improvement Act, 2007, 110th Congress^[19]
• (dead) HR 3401 State Defense Force Improvement Act, 2005, 109th Congress^[20]
• (dead) HR 2797 State Defense Force Improvement Act, 2003, 108th Congress^[21]

State information

References