The State Defense Force Manual

Published by The Military Service Publishing Company, Harrisburg, PA, 1942

About this Item

[6], 603, [1] pages. Illustrations. Diagrams. Figures. Tables. Cover worn, creased and soiled. Some page soiling and staining. State defense forces (SDF) also known as state military, state guards, or state military reserves) in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government; they are partially regulated by the National Guard Bureau but they are not a part of the Army National Guard of the United States. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state. State defense forces are distinct from their state's National Guard in that they cannot become federal entities. All state National Guard personnel can be federalized under the National Defense Act of 1933 with the creation of the National Guard of the United States. This provides the basis for integrating units and personnel of the Army National Guard into the U.S. Army and, units and personnel of the Air National Guard into the U.S. Air Force. The federal government recognizes state defense forces, under 32 U.S.C. § 109 which provides that state defense forces as a whole may not be called, ordered, or drafted into the armed forces of the United States, thus preserving their separation from the National Guard. Nearly every state active SDFs with different levels of activity, support, and strength. State defense forces generally operate with emergency management and homeland security missions. State defense forces have been both officially and informally called National Guard Reserves. The organization of the state defense forces came into being as the result of the need for a carefully selected group of patriotic citizens to take the place of the National Guard while any part of the National Guard of the State concerned was in active Federal Service. The chief function of the state defense forces is to protect establishments and agencies vital to the security of the State. In order that the state defense forces may have the necessary basic training along the same lines as the national armed forces, the subjects selected for inclusion in this Manual are, with few exceptions, based on U.S. Government publications. It is felt that this Manual contains all the information necessary for the proper training and the efficient function of the state defense forces.

Seller Inventory # 74196

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The State Defense Force Manual
• Publisher: The Military Service Publishing Company, Harrisburg, PA
• Publication Date: 1942
• Binding: Wraps
• Edition: Third Edition [stated].
• Condition: Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Chemical Warfare
  • Military Training