State Defense Force Monograph Series: Mission Growth of the SDF from the Cold War
Abstract
Under the provisions of 32 USC, 109 there are 54 political entities that are eligible for an authorized State Defense Force (SDF) unit; there are in fact at this writing only 23 such units across the country. The organization and mission structure of these SDF units vary from the original intent of Light Infantry and Military Police to the more recent direction of professional elements designed to provide backup support for the National Guard (NG) and in the extreme provide direct homeland security support to the state Emergency Management Agency (EMA) when the NG cannot because of a combat, peacekeeping or homeland defense deployment. In one case a design is offered for those still in the Light Infantry or Military Police mission structure to start the move to provide a more complete support effort for the NG; in another case the problems of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is examined and a need to assist the NG in addressing it is proposed; one SDF unit describes how it developed and applies an engineering element to supplement its NG in a major thrust in the mission redesign effort; an example of the ultimate in mission restructure is provided in a model for conducting both a potential damage assessment for a typical natural disaster and an actual damage assessment following the disaster as a request to support its EMA. These articles are examples based on the fact that there were individuals willing to take the time and make the effort to prepare them for others to read and learn and explore. This Editor has had the opportunity to speak to many Command and senior personnel in a fair number of SDF units. The fact is that there are a number of examples of movement toward an enhanced mission structure scattered about; however, they remain unreported due to a lack of "authors." In some cases other members of the SDF unit were unaware of these novel activities due to a lack of information sharing.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA520932
Entities
People
- Brian R. Kelm
- James L. Greenstone
- James Mccoskey
- Martin Hershkowitz
- Robert Patterson