The Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF, GASDF) is a professionally trained, volunteer component of the Georgia Department of Defense, serving in support of the national and state constitutions under direction of the

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and the

adjutant general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. As a

State Defense Force In the United States, state defense forces are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state. ...

(SDF), the GSDF serves alongside the

Georgia Army National Guard The Georgia Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Georgia National Guard, administratively part of the Georgia Department of Defense. It consists of more than 11,100 citizen-soldiers training in more than 79 hometown ...

and the

Georgia Air National Guard The Georgia Air National Guard (GA ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Georgia, United States of America. It is, along with the Georgia Army National Guard, an element of the Georgia National Guard. As state militia units, the units in ...

. The mission of the GSDF is to provide an organized, trained, disciplined, rapid response volunteer force to assist state and local government agencies and civil relief organizations during emergencies to ensure the welfare and safety of

citizens. GSDF Soldiers help, support, and augment the Georgia

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

; provide professional skills to the Georgia Department of Defense; and assist Georgia communities. Soldiers are trained in search and rescue and medical support, and they assist with disaster relief.

Organization

The Georgia State Defense Force is currently organized with a headquarters in Ellenwood, Georgia; four

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

s with geographic areas of responsibility throughout the state; medical companies; a support brigade providing special skills augmentation; Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC); and Opposing Force (OPFOR) Battalion; a Ready Reserve Command; and a Chaplain Corps (based on Army special branches religious support) with a Command Chaplain, Brigade Chaplain, Battalion Chaplain (UMT) Unit Ministry Team and a Chaplain Training Center. Each brigade and equivalent unit is commanded by a

field grade officer A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...

(usually a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

). The current chain of command for the State Defense Force at the state level is organized under three positions: The commander-in-chief (Governor

Brian Kemp Brian Porter Kemp (born November 2, 1963) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 83rd governor of Georgia since January 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Kemp served as the 27th secretary of state of Georgia from 2010 t ...

), the adjutant general (Major General Thomas M. Carden Jr.), and the Georgia State Defense Force commander (Brigadier General Mark D. Gelhardt Sr.).

Requirements

Current eligibility requirements for the GSDF (men and women between the ages of 18 and 64): * A background check, * U.S. citizens or legal residency, * A high school diploma or equivalent, and * Height and weight standards that are "designed to ensure that GSDF personnel present minimum acceptable appearance when in uniform." Prior military experience is not required, although approximately 40 percent of active members have prior service experience.

History

The Georgia State Defense Force's rich heritage dates back to England. Under the direction of General James Oglethorpe, Sergeants of the Guard trained future colonists in militia tactics. As settlers began arriving in Georgia around 1733, many became members of General James Oglethorpe's militia and were called upon during the

Battle of Bloody Marsh The Battle of Bloody Marsh took place on 7 July 1742 between Spanish and British forces on St. Simons Island, part of the Province of Georgia, resulting in a victory for the British. Part of the War of Jenkins' Ear, the battle was for the Brit ...

in 1742 to help repel the Spanish invasion of Georgia. These militia forces later joined General George Washington in the fight for

American Independence The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

. The volunteer militia remained in continuous service throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. During this time, the militia participated in Indian wars against the Creeks,

Cherokees The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

, and

Choctaws The Choctaw (in the Choctaw language, Chahta) are a Native American people originally based in the Southeastern Woodlands, in what is now Alabama and Mississippi. Their Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choctaw people are ...

, and, with the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Georgia responded with over 100 volunteer regiments, battalions, and batteries. The portion that remained at home helped to defend

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and Macon, shadowed by the Union advance in 1864. This volunteer commitment was second only in number to the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United Stat ...

. In 1917, following passage of the

National Defense Act of 1916 The National Defense Act of 1916, , was a United States federal law that updated the Militia Act of 1903, which related to the organization of the military, particularly the National Guard. The principal change of the act was to supersede provi ...

, the National Guard could be called into federal service. As a result, Georgia law organized the militia into three classes: the National Guard, the

naval militia A naval militia is a reserve military organization administered under the authority of a state government in the United States. It is often composed of reservists of the Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve, retirees an ...

, and the unorganized militia. It further created a separate Home Guard, or State Constabulary, also subject to military law. After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the militia was called to put down labor unrest at factories and mills across the state. In 1940, with the onset of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Governor E.D. Rivers requested the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

to organize the Georgia State Defense Corps. The next year, in 1941, Colonel Ryburn Clay was appointed to head the State Defense Corps and it was activated and placed under the command of Brigadier General

Omar Bradley Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893April 8, 1981) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. Bradley ...

, commanding officer at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Its name was shortly changed to the State Defense Corps of Georgia and then to the Georgia State Guard in 1942. During World War II, 35,000 volunteer members guarded war plants, critical communications facilities, utilities, reservoirs, and transportation facilities. Approximately 8,000 served at any given time with about 10,000 left at the end of the war. They were trained to repel an invasion that never came. Although not officially disbanded until 1951, the Georgia State Guard began its retirement in July 1946. The Georgia State Guard was re-authorized in 1973 to serve as a constabulary force, and throughout the 1970s and 1980s was tasked to serve as a backup for state police forces. Legislation resulted in the first muster in 1985 when it was re-activated as the Georgia State Defense Force under the command of Brigadier General John Gillette. The force was tasked to provide a cadre around a larger force to assume the vacated domestic missions of Georgia National Guard members called to federal duty. The current Georgia State Defense Force is authorized by the

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

under 32 USC 109(c), by the

State of Georgia Georgia is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina; to the northeast by South Carolina; to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean; to the south by Florida; and to the west by ...

under Title 38 of the

Official Code of Georgia Annotated The Official Code of Georgia Annotated or OCGA is the compendium of all laws in the U.S. state of Georgia. Like other U.S. state codes, its legal interpretation is subject to the United States Constitution, the United States Code, the Code of ...

, and by the

National Guard Bureau The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was cre ...

under NGR 10-4. The Georgia Department of Defense is composed of the State Defense Force, the Army National Guard, and the Air National Guard, all of whom serve under the direction of the adjutant general of Georgia. GSDF operations have included support to National Guard units during the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, participation in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, emergency aid to agencies such as the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

(FEMA) and

Georgia Emergency Management Agency The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency or GEMHSA is the emergency management agency for the U.S. state of Georgia. Its function is similar to that of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in preparing for and respond ...

(GEMA), support to Georgia National Guard units and their families since 2001, activation during the 2004 G-8 Summit at Sea Island, the 2005

Katrina Katrina or Katrine may refer to: People * Katrina (given name) * Katrine (given name) Meteorology * List of storms named Katrina, a list of tropical cyclones designated as Katrina ** Hurricane Katrina, an exceptionally powerful Atlantic hurrican ...

and

Rita Rita may refer to: People * Rita (given name) * Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984) * Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962) * Rita (Japanese singer) * Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita Places * Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...

hurricane evacuations, and response to Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and Michael. In 2010, the GSDF Soldiers were recognized by a special resolution of the Georgia Legislature for their participation in Operation Healing Hands, providing disaster relief to earthquake victims in Haiti. After the devastating outbreak of tornadoes across the Southeast U.S. in May, 2011, members of the GSDF participated in relief efforts in Lamar County and other hard-hit areas of the state. GSDF Soldiers, including consumer advocate Captain

Clark Howard Clark Brian Howard (born June 20, 1955) is a popular consumer expert and podcast host of ''The Clark Howard Show''. Life and career Howard grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents, Bernard and Joy Garson Howard, were prominent members of Atl ...

, assisted with car removal following a huge traffic jam caused by Winter Storm Leon. In 2018, the GSDF established an

Opposing Force An opposing force (alternatively enemy force, abbreviated OPFOR) is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios. The related concept of aggressor squadron is used by some air forces. T ...

unit tasked with providing realistic combat training to National Guard troops prior to deployment. In March 2020, elements of the Georgia State Defense Force were activated to assist in Georgia's response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The GSDF provided COVID-19 support to the state of Georgia from March 16, 2020 through July 17, 2020. This was the longest continuous call-up in the GSDF's history. The Georgia Department of Defense presented a Georgia Distinguished Unit Ribbon to the GSDF for its service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Legal protection

Employers in the state of Georgia are required by law to grant a

leave of absence The labour law concept of leave, specifically paid leave or, in some countries' long-form, a leave of absence, is an authorised prolonged absence from work, for any reason authorised by the workplace. When people "take leave" in this way, they are ...

to any employees who serve in the GSDF and who are activated for any military service, and to restore those employees to their previous positions upon their return from their deployment. GSDF Soldiers who are employed by a government organization are also entitled to 18 days of paid leave per fiscal year.

Awards and decorations

In 2022, the Georgia Department of Defense consolidated all the awards of the Georgia Army National Guard, the Georgia Air National Guard, and the Georgia State Defense Force. Prior to the consolidation, the Georgia State Defense Force issued several awards, some of which are still awarded under the Georgia Department of Defense regulation: * GSDF Medal of Valor

Medal of Valor (Obsolete) * GSDF Distinguished Service Medal

Distinguished Service Medal (Obsolete) * GSDF Legion of Merit Medal

Legion of Merit Medal * GSDF Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal (Formerly Medal of Merit) (Obsolete) * GSDF Commendation Medal

Commendation Medal (Obsolete) * GSDF Achievement Medal

Achievement Medal * GSDF Good Conduct Ribbon

Good Conduct Medal * GSDF Longevity Service Ribbon

Longevity Service Ribbon (Obsolete) * GSDF Unit Commander’s Citation

Unit Commander's Citation (Awarded as a ribbon) (Obsolete) * GSDF State Active Duty Service Ribbon (Obsolete)

State Active Duty Ribbon (Obsolete) * GSDF State Active Duty Service Ribbon

State Active Duty Ribbon (Obsolete) * GSDF Humanitarian Service Ribbon

Humanitarian Service Ribbon (Obsolete) * GSDF Volunteer Service Ribbon

Volunteer Service Ribbon * GSDF Recruiting Achievement Ribbon

Recruiting Achievement Ribbon * GSDF Soldier NCO Member of the Year Ribbon

Soldier/NCO Member of the Year Ribbon (Formerly Enlisted Member of the Year Ribbon) * GSDF Military Proficiency Ribbon

Military Proficiency Ribbon * GSDF Military Qualification Training Ribbon

Military Qualification Training Ribbon * GSDF Emergency Service School Ribbon

Emergency Services School Ribbon * GSDF Military Indoctrination Ribbon

Military Indoctrination Ribbon * GSDF Military Readiness Ribbon

Military Readiness Ribbon (Obsolete) * GSDF Physical Fitness Ribbon

Physical Fitness Ribbon (Obsolete) * GSDF Unit Commander’s Citation (Obsolete)

Unit Commander's Citation (Obsolete) * GSDF Outstanding Unit Citation

Outstanding Unit Citation (Obsolete) * GSDF Outstanding Unit Citation New

Outstanding Unit Citation (Obsolete) GSDF soldiers who have previously served in a federal component of the United States military may also wear awards issued by any branch of the

Armed Forces of the United States The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

, a United States ally, or other recognized state defense forces in addition to any Georgia state awards. Veterans of the American military who have earned the

Combat Infantry Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces soldiers in the rank of colonel and below, who fought in active ground combat while assigned as members of ei ...

, the

Parachutist Badge A parachutist badge (or parachutist brevet) is a military badge awarded by the armed forces of many states to soldiers who have received parachute training and completed the required number of jumps. It is difficult to assess which country was the ...

, the

Ranger tab In the United States Army, tabs are cloth and/or metal arches displaying a word or words signifying a special skill that are worn on U.S. Army uniforms. On the Army Combat Uniform and Army Service Uniform, the tabs are worn above a unit's Should ...

, the Pilot Wings, the Air Crewman Wings, the

Submarine Warfare insignia The Submarine Warfare Insignia (usually known as '"Dolphins"') are worn by qualified submariners. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service, sailors who qualify as submariners are awarded a badge depicting two dolphins and a cr ...

, the

Diver insignia The diver insignia (also known as "diver badges") are qualification badges of the uniformed services of the United States which are awarded to servicemen qualified as divers. Originally, the diver insignia was a cloth patch decoration worn by Uni ...

, and the unit

formation patch A formation patch or formation badge is a military insignia that identifies a soldier's military formations. Originally developed during the 20th century for battlefield identification, it has persisted into the 21st century as an element of milita ...

in cases where the soldier served in a combat zone, may wear these awards on both the dress and service uniforms as well.

References

External links

Official Georgia Department of Defense Website

Official Georgia State Defense Force Website
***FIRST BRIGADE HQ, North Georgi
Official Website
****1st Battalion / 1st Brigade, Rome, G
Official website
****2nd Battalion / 1st Brigade, Marietta, G
Official website
****3rd Battalion / 1st Brigade, Monroe, G
Official website
****4th Battalion / 1st Brigade, Dahlonega, GA ****Medical Detachment / 1st Brigade, Atlanta, G
Official website
***FIFTH BRIGADE HQ, Central Georgia ****1st Battalion (SRD) / 5th Brigade, Ft. Gordon, GA ****2nd Battalion / 5th Brigade, Jackson, G
Official Website NEW
****3rd Battalion / 5th Brigade, Ft. Stewart, G
Official website
****4th Battalion / 5th Brigade, LaGrange, GA ****Warner Robbins Detachment / 5th Brigade, Warner Robins, GA ***76th SUPPORT BRIGADE HQ, Marietta, G
Official website
****1st Medical Company, Marietta, G
Official website
****4th Battalion, Douglas, GA ****57th Schools and Training Battalion, Marietta, GA ****105th GaSDF Band, Marietta, G
Official website
****911th Support Battalion, Marietta, G
Official website
***OPFOR Battalion HQ, Cumming, G
Official website
****A Company, Cumming, G
Official website
****B Company, Atlanta, G
Official website
{{State Defense Forces Military in Georgia (U.S. state) State defense forces of the United States Military units and formations in Georgia (U.S. state)

Organization

Requirements

History

Legal protection

Awards and decorations

See also

References

External links