Help Us Protect America’s State Defense Forces.
The Office of Government & Legislative Affairs is launching a major nationwide effort to protect, strengthen, and expand America’s State Defense Forces / State Guards.
Our main priorities include :
- Working with The Maryland Military Department & State Legislators for the reversal of the policy that requires members of The Maryland Defense Force wear Polo and Khaki uniforms.
- Working with Federal legislators and Senior Policy Officials for the reversal of CNGBI 5500.01A text that recommends State Guards / Defense Forces wear Red or Bold Color nametapes, insignia, baseball cap, and SDF badge.
- Developing & Advocating legislation to ensure Georgia State Defense Force personnel and other State Defense Forces in the nation to receive compensation when ordered to State Active Duty,
- Working with lawmakers to establish new State Guards in Arizona and West Virginia.
Your support also enables us to conduct legislative and policy research, mobilize constituents, retain military, legal, and policy experts, and work directly with state and federal officials to protect troop safety, recruiting, retention, readiness, mission effectiveness, and the future of State Defense Forces nationwide.
For more information read below.
Across the United States, thousands of men and women volunteer to serve in State Defense Forces and State Guards, supporting their communities during emergencies, natural disasters, National Guard operations, training missions, shelter operations, logistical missions, and other assignments directed by their Governor.
These volunteers deserve policies that make their organizations stronger, safer, and more effective, not policies that undermine their ability to serve.
Unfortunately, decisions involving uniforms, training, funding, organizational structure, equipment, personnel policies, and reduction of missions have serious unintended consequences for State Defense Forces.
Poorly designed policies can:
- Harm recruiting and retention.
- Reduce morale and esprit de corps.
- Eliminate or restrict valuable missions.
- Weaken military readiness and organizational effectiveness.
- Make it more difficult for State Defense Forces to support their National Guard and civilian emergency-management partners.
- Create confusion among the public and other agencies during emergency operations.
- Increase the danger to the lives of State Defense Force troops and the Americans they serve
What We Are Doing:
The Office of Government & Legislative Affairs works to identify policies that may negatively affect State Defense Forces and develop practical alternatives that strengthen these organizations while protecting the men and women who serve in them.
Our work includes:
- Researching existing laws, regulations, directives, and military policies.
- Investigating proposed or recently implemented policy changes that can harm State Defense Forces.
- Assist in the development of legislative and policy recommendations that benefit State Defense Forces.
- Working directly with Non-Government Organizations, State Leaders, State Agencies, Senior State Leaderships, State Legislators, and Federal Legislators on legislation & policies.
- Working Federal agencies & policymakers when an issue extends beyond an individual state.
- Consulting subject-matter experts, State Defense Force leaders, National Guard leaders, Adjutant Governors and High Level Federal Government Leaders.
- Educating elected officials about how proposed policies may affect recruiting, retention, readiness, mission effectiveness, and troop safety.
- Advocating against harmful policies before they are implemented.
- Working to modify or rescind harmful policies that have already taken effect.
- Developing legislation that strengthens State Defense Forces and provides their personnel with better protections, resources, benefits, and support.
- Our objective is not simply to identify a problem. We want to provide policymakers with a credible solution and then work with them to implement it.
Your Donation Helps Put Advocacy Into Action:
Effective legislative advocacy requires far more than sending an email or publishing an article. It requires research, repeated communication with legislative offices, constituent outreach, meetings with local, state and Federal policymakers, preparation of policy proposals, coordination with subject-matter experts, and continued engagement throughout the legislative and regulatory process.
Your contribution helps cover expenses associated with this work, including:
- Travel to meet with legislators and government officials.
- Transportation and lodging when our staff is in DC or at State Capitals working on legislative advocacy and working with lawmakers.
- The development of Policy, legislative research and legislative advocacy
- Communications with lawmakers. ie. Mail expenses
- Constituent outreach. ie. Mass mailing campaigns to the constituents of lawmakers regarding legislation and policy matters.
- Telephone and digital outreach to legislative offices.
- Education and awareness campaigns. ie. Attending high profile events where lawmakers and military leadership to showcase the capabilities of State Defense Forces.
- Meetings with State and Federal officials.
- Administrative costs associated with sustained advocacy efforts. ie. Development of thousands of pages of documents that need to be then dispersed to hundreds of lawmakers.
When an policy, law, or issue threatens a State Defense Force, we want to have the resources necessary to respond immediately, investigate the issue, develop an response, and bring that solution directly to the officials who have the authority to make a difference.
State Defense Force personnel volunteer their time because they believe in serving their communities and their states.
When they are called upon during disasters, emergencies, military training exercises, or other missions, they should be supported by policies that enhance, not diminish, their ability to accomplish those missions safely and effectively.
Recruiting matters. Retention matters. Readiness matters. Mission capability matters. But above all, the safety of the troops must come first.
Your contribution helps us continue fighting for policies that preserve, strengthen, and protect America's State Defense Forces and State Guards.
Stand With America’s State Defense Forces
Please consider making a one-time or recurring contribution to support this work.
Together, we can help ensure that State Defense Forces remain strong, capable, properly supported, mission ready, and safe for the men and women who volunteer to serve.