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Alabama State Defense Force

{{Short description|State-provided guard for Alabama}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name= Alabama State Defense Force

|website= {{URL|https://web.archive.org/web/20131022025517/http://sdf.alabama.gov/|sdf.alabama.gov}}

| image= Coat of arms of the Alabama State Defense Force.svg

| image_size = 200

|caption=

|dates= 1940–1945{{cite web|title=History - 4th Brigade|url=http://www.4thbrigade.freeservers.com/history.htm|website=4th Brigade|access-date=19 March 2017}}
1980–present{{cite executive order |number=20 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003031641/https://www.archives.alabama.gov/executiveorders/executiveorders/1983_20.pdf |date=December 22, 1983 |language=English |post=Governor of Alabama |accessdate=September 28, 2013}}

|country= {{flag|United States}}

|allegiance= {{flag|Alabama}}

|branch=

|type= 25px  State defense force

|role=

|size= 1,000 legally authorized

|command_structure= Alabama Military Department

|garrison=Fort Taylor Harden Armory, Montgomery, Alabama

|garrison_label=

|commander1= Gov. Kay Ivey

|commander1_label= Commander in Chief

|commander2= MG Perry G. Smith

|commander2_label= Adjutant General

|commander3=BG (AL) Dale Webb

|commander3_label= Commander

|notable_commanders=

}}

The Alabama State Defense Force (ASDF) is the state defense force of Alabama, allowed by the Constitution of Alabama, federal law,{{cite web |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/32/109 |title= 32 U.S. Code § 109 - Maintenance of other troops |author= |date= |website= |publisher=Legal Information Institute |access-date=19 February 2023 |quote=}} the Code of Alabama,{{cite web |url=https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/2016/title-31/chapter-2/section-31-2-8 |title=AL Code § 31-2-8 |author= |date=2016 |website= |publisher=Justia |access-date=19 February 2023 |quote=}} and Executive Order. It has an authorized strength of 1,000 members and is organized on the United States Army structural pattern. The ASDF is under the control of the Governor of Alabama, as the state's Commander in Chief, and comes under the authority of The Adjutant General (TAG) of Alabama. The ASDF is an adjunct, volunteer, augmenting force to the Alabama National Guard. Currently, the ASDF is inactive awaiting reorganization by the Alabama National Guard.{{cite web|last1=Blevins|first1=Jeremy|title=The state of the Alabama State Defense Force|url=https://jeremyblevins.com/2014/01/08/the-state-of-the-alabama-state-defense-force/|website=Jeremy Blevins|date=9 January 2014|access-date=19 March 2017}}

History

=Origins=

Prior to the modern National Guard, states would provide volunteer militia units to augment the federal army in times of war. In the Mexican–American War, Alabama provided the United States with multiple units of Alabama militia, with most serving for less than a year.

During the American Civil War, both Union units and Confederate units were raised in support of the war effort.

In the Spanish–American War, Alabama raised three volunteer infantry units.{{cite web |url=http://www.spanamwar.com/units.htm |title=Unit Profiles, Rosters, and Photos |author= |date= |website=spanamwar.com |publisher= |access-date=17 April 2021 |quote=}}

=20th century=

After the declaration of World War II, the majority of the National Guard was mobilized, leaving governors without troops to guard against invasion, provide disaster relief, and protect against civil unrest. Therefore, many states, including Alabama, raised state defense forces to act as a replacement for the National Guard during the war. In 1940, Governor Frank M. Dixon created the Alabama State Guard, recruiting primarily from World War I veterans in the American Legion.{{cite web |url=http://sdf.alabama.gov/about-asdf/history |title=ASDF History |author= |date= |website=alabama.gov |publisher= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022022004/http://sdf.alabama.gov/about-asdf/history |access-date=17 April 2021 |archive-date=2013-10-22 |quote=}} Alabama took a unique approach in creating its state defense force. While other states actively recruited from veteran's organizations, Alabama went a step further and "gave the American Legion of Alabama the responsibility for creating and running its State Guard," and in return, Alabama "was able to achieve a functioning state guard sooner than most states."{{cite book |last=Stentiford |first=Barry M. |title=The American Home Guard: The State Militia in the Twentieth Century |year=2002 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |isbn=1-58544-181-3 |page=99}} By using an existing private organization as the framework for their state defense force, Alabama was able to achieve full readiness far sooner than might be expected. At the war's end, the Alabama State Guard was deactivated.

On December 22, 1983, Governor George Wallace signed Executive Order Number 20, which authorized the creation of the Alabama State Defense Force, the successor of the Alabama State Guard which was disbanded in World War II.

=21st century=

Before the start of the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Alabama State Defense Force began training at Fort McClellan to serve as stateside replacements for deploying units.{{cite web |url=https://www.annistonstar.com/news/anniston/mcclellan-still-swarms-with-soldiers-thanks-to-national-guard/article_00b4a1c0-9f07-11eb-82c2-674efc510fc7.html |title=McClellan still swarms with soldiers, thanks to National Guard |last=Tutor |first=Phillip |date=16 April 2021 |website= |publisher=The Anniston Star |access-date=17 April 2021 |quote=}} In 2008, members delivered meals and water to Hurricane Gustav evacuees.{{cite web |url=http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20080905/news/809059978 |title=State Defense Force aids evacuees |last=Beyerle |first=Dana |date=5 September 2008 |website= |publisher=The Tuscaloosa News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416144208/http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20080905/news/809059978 |access-date=17 April 2021 |archive-date=2016-04-16 |quote=}} On August 14, 2012, Governor Robert Bentley signed into law the Alabama State Defense Force bill (SB278), which added clarification to the role of the ASDF in relation to the Alabama National Guard, so that the two organizations can be better integrated in future stateside missions.{{cite web|title=Alabama SB278 |url=http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/searchableinstruments/2012RS/Printfiles/SB278-int.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003045726/http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/searchableinstruments/2012RS/Printfiles/SB278-int.pdf |archive-date=2013-10-03 }}{{cite news|title=Bentley Signs State Defense Force Bill |author=Brandon Moseley |url=http://alreporter.com/archives/2012-june/2236-bentley-signs-state-defense-force-bill.html |newspaper=Alabama Political Reporter |date=August 16, 2012 |access-date=September 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217135235/http://alreporter.com/archives/2012-june/2236-bentley-signs-state-defense-force-bill.html |archive-date=December 17, 2013 }} As recently as April 2013, the ASDF was still seeking applicants,{{cite web |url=http://blog.al.com/press-releases/2013/04/alabama_state_defense_force_of.html |title=Alabama State Defense Force (official state militia) seeks applicants |author= |date=7 April 2013 |website=al.com |publisher= |access-date=17 April 2021 |quote=}} but as of November 2013, it was stood down from active status.{{cite web |url=http://statedefenseforce.com/database/2013/12/02/alabama-sdf-stands-down/ |title=Alabama SDF Stands Down |access-date=2013-12-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217140135/http://statedefenseforce.com/database/2013/12/02/alabama-sdf-stands-down/ |archive-date=2013-12-17 }} While not abolished or disbanded, the ASDF was placed in inactive status while "the future structure, mission and manning of ASDF are determined." As of June 2022, the state of Alabama was still issuing Alabama State Defense Force license plates to its active and inactive members.{{cite web |url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/06/these-are-the-rarest-specialty-license-plates-in-alabama.html |title=These are the rarest specialty license plates in Alabama |last=Gore |first=Leada |date=3 June 2022 |website=al.com |publisher= |access-date=18 June 2022 |quote=}}

After the Alabama State Defense Force was shifted to inactive status, some of its members formed the [http://202ndbattalion.wix.com/202ndbn Alabama Volunteers] as a private organization organized under the Alabama State Defense Force Association, in order to continue their volunteer service in disaster relief efforts until the ALSDF is reactivated.{{cite web |url=http://202ndbattalion.wix.com/202ndbn#!202nd-bn/c1k5m |title=Who We Are |website=Alabama Volunteers Official Website |access-date=1 August 2015 }} In Southern Alabama, the U.S. National Reserve Corps was started with members from the ASDF, this national organization also consists of volunteers dedicated to service in disaster relief efforts and participated with the Red Cross in 2014 in damage assessment in Baldwin County.{{Cite web|title = United States National Reserve Corps {{!}} United to Serve|url = http://usnationalreservecorps.us/|website = usnationalreservecorps.us|access-date = 2015-10-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160131052616/http://usnationalreservecorps.us/|archive-date = 2016-01-31|url-status = dead}}

As of January 2025, over 11 years since the temporary suspension began, the state of Alabama has not yet finished its reorganization of the Alabama State Defense Force.

Mission

The mission of the Alabama State Defense Force is to on order of the Adjutant General of Alabama provide trained and ready volunteer individuals and units to support the National Guard conducting Defense Support to Civil Authorities missions to mitigate and/or alleviate the effects of a natural or man-made disaster.

Organization

The ASDF is headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama. The ASDF has three operational Brigades.

Awards and decorations

The Alabama State Defense Force issues several ribbons to guardsmen who have merited them, including the following ribbons:{{cite web |url=http://www.frontiernet.net/~ericbush/US/NG/Alsdf.gif |title=Alabama State Defense Force Awards & Ribbons |last1=Bush |first1=Eric |access-date=6 October 2013}}

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

  • 80px ASDF Alabama War Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Distinguished Service Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Meritorious Service Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Commendation Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Achievement Ribbon (Officer)
  • 80px ASDF Achievement Ribbon (Enlisted)
  • 80px ASDF Merit Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Desert Shield/Storm Support Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Disaster Readiness Ribbon
  • 80px SGT Dixie Club-Gold Ribbon
  • 80px SGT Dixie Club-Silver Ribbon
  • 80px SGT Dixie Club-Bronze Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Service Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Distinguished Graduate Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Professional Development Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Officer Training Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Warrant Officer Training Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF NCO Training Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF C.E.R.T. Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Recruiting Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Super Recruiter Recruiting Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Association Member Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF SGAUS Ribbon
  • 80px ASDF Outstanding Unit Comm. Ribbon
  • 80px SGAUS Superior Unit Citation
  • 80px MEMS Academy Unit Citation

{{div col end}}

See also

References

{{Reflist|2}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20131022025517/http://sdf.alabama.gov/ The Alabama State Defense Force website] archived at web.archive.org
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20121019064431/http://www.goasdf.com/ The Alabama State Defense Force recruiting website] archived at web.archive.org

{{State Defense Forces}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Military in Alabama

Category:State defense forces of the United States

Category:State agencies of Alabama

Category:1821 establishments in Alabama