World War II

The North Carolina State Guard was officially established 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. ...

on 27 February 1941 when the North Carolina National Guard was mobilized into federal service during World War II. The State Guard actually began organizing in early February with the appointment of officers, and the mustered strength reached a high of 2,128 by 1944. With the return of the National Guard, units began being inactivated in 1946, and the State Guard was completely disbanded by July 1947.

Reactivation

The North Carolina State Defense Militia (NCSDM) was reactivated by North Carolina Governor

James G. Martin James Grubbs Martin (born December 11, 1935) is an American organic chemist and politician who served as the List of Governors of North Carolina, 70th governor of North Carolina from 1985 to 1993. He was the third Republican elected to the of ...

in February 1988. The NC State Defense Militia operated unde
Chapter 127A of the North Carolina General Statutes
and as such, is a distinct unit from the NC National Guard. The NCSDM participated in operations for

Hurricane Hugo Hurricane Hugo was a powerful Cape Verde tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread damage across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. Across its track, Hugo affected approximately 2 million peop ...

in 1989 and members filled in for National Guard troops while they were deployed for the

Persian 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: ...

in 1990–91. Other actions were during coastal storms and an outbreak of tornadoes in

King, North Carolina King is a city in Stokes and Forsyth counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,096 at the 2020 census. King is part of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan area, located 15 miles northwest of Winston-Salem. The city has two larg ...

. Due to the temporary suspension in 1996, the NCSDM was never officially re-activated by the North Carolina governors elected since April 1996.

Authority

Joint Resolution 987 of the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

ratified 27 June 1995 honored the efforts and assistance of the members of the NCSDM and expressed appreciation for the service that the members rendered to their respective communities, counties, and to the State of North Carolina.

Temporary Suspension

Activities of the NCSDM were temporarily suspended in April 1996 by the North Carolina Adjutant General. This suspension was due to a workers' compensation claim, and a review of the workers' compensation laws regarding the North Carolina State Defense Militia.Letter to BG Theodore B. Gesulga (Commander, North Carolina State Defense Militia, from MG Gerald A. Rudisill Jr. (Adjutant General, North Carolina Army Reserve and National Guard), dated 5 April 1996 This temporary suspension at the state governor's level is still in effect.

Historical North Carolina militias

The

North Carolina Provincial Congress The North Carolina Provincial Congresses were extra-legal unicameral legislative bodies formed in 1774 through 1776 by the people of the Province of North Carolina, independent of the British colonial government. There were five congresses. They ...

authorized a militia in 1775 for the American Revolution. The militia continued after the war. In 1836, the North Carolina General Assembly of 18361837 passed a law establishing a permanent militia. The law enrolled all free white males between the ages of 18 and 45 in the State Militia. Exceptions were given for certain public officials and other occupations. Free black males could only be enrolled as musicians in the militia. The division, brigade, and regiment structure of the militia was prescribed and included each county.

References