The Florida State Guard (FSG) is the

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. ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. The FSG was created in 1941 to serve as a stateside replacement for the

Florida National Guard The Florida National Guard is the National Guard force of the state of Florida. It comprises the Florida Army National Guard and the Florida Air National Guard. The United States Constitution charges the National Guard with dual federal and st ...

while the National Guard was deployed abroad during

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 opposing ...

. The FSG is available to the governor of Florida whenever needed, but unlike the National Guard, the FSG is trained and funded by the state and therefore can not be federalized. The FSG was reactivated in 2022 after the Florida legislature appropriated US$10 million in funding.

Background

State defense forces are authorized by the federal government under Title 32, Section 109 of the United States Code. Twenty-three states, as well as the territory of Puerto Rico, actively maintain these forces. Florida law also allows the creation of a state defense force, either as a full-sized force when any part of the National Guard is federally deployed, or as a reserve cadre of officers and non-commissioned officers regardless of National Guard deployment.

Original incarnation

Creation

Before the United States entered World War II, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

instituted a peacetime draft, and federalized various National Guard units, including Florida's National Guard. As a result, states which had previously counted on their National Guard to maintain peace, quell riots, protect against sabotage, or repel a potential invasion were given the alternative of creating their own state-level military forces under the State Guard Act signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on October 21, 1940. In 1941, the Florida Legislature and Governor Holland created Florida Defense Force, later to be rebranded as the Florida State Guard. The purpose of the state defense forces, including the FSG, was to fulfil the National Guard's state obligations. This included guarding infrastructure, protecting against sabotage, calming riots, or aiding law enforcement. Although the mainland United States was never invaded during World War II, state defenses would have shared responsibility with the federal military and National Guard in defending American territory had an invasion occurred. During the war, the First Air Squadron of the FSG regularly patrolled the coast of Florida, searching for German U-boats. The squadron was also used to assist in search-and-rescue missions.

Membership

Membership was open to all Florida men aged 18 to 60. The commitment lasted for three years, although members who were eligible could be drafted into the federal military at any time. Most of the members were veterans of

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 ...

. Members of the Florida Defense Force's air wing, the First Air Squadron, were required to either have a private pilot's license or have served in the military at least one year. By 1943, the Florida State Guard numbered 2,100 Florida men in 36 units.

Organization

Each county was able to organize its own unit so long as it could recruit at minimum fifty Florida men who met the qualifications required by the state. By 1943, there were 63 separate units of state guardsmen organized. The FSG also maintained a separate air squadron, known as the First Air Squadron.

Equipment

Uniforms, surplus weapons, and other equipment were provided by the state of Florida. Florida law also permitted the FSG to use National Guard armories and receive any surplus weapons and equipment offered by the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

. The approximately 27 airplanes used by the First Air Squadron were privately owned by the fifteen individuals who piloted them; however, they were allowed to have "1st Air Squadron, Florida Defense Force" painted on both sides of the nose of each plane.

Disbandment

The Florida State Guard was disbanded in 1947 after the Florida Army National Guard was released from Federal Active Duty.

Reactivation

On December 2, 2021, Governor

Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician serving as the 46th governor of Florida since January 2019. A member of the Republican Party, DeSantis represented Florida's 6th district in the U.S. House of Repres ...

announced, in his $100 million budget for the Florida National Guard, that $3.5 million would be invested into reactivating the FSG. It would allow for training and equipment of up to 200 members. In March 2022, Florida lawmakers proposed a budget which included $10 million for reactivating the Florida State Guard. The funding would allow for an enlistment of 400 enlisted troops and six full-time civilian employees. The newly reactivated organization began soliciting applications from prospective employees in May 2022. On June 14, 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the reestablishment of the Florida State Guard as an emergency-focused civilian volunteer force and appointed retired Marine Corps. Lieutenant Colonel Chris Graham as director.

References

External links

Florida State Guard website
{{State Defense Forces Military in Florida State defense forces of the United States 1941 establishments in Florida