Tennessee State Guard

The Tennessee State Guard traces its origins to the American Revolution. During the Battle of King's Mountain, approximately four hundred volunteers from the area known today as Tennessee crossed the mountains into North Carolina to fight against the British Army and Loyalist militias. They contributed significantly to the Patriot victory.

Tennessee militias served in battle again in the War of 1812 under Andrew Jackson. After participating in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, they served with distinction in the Battle of New Orleans, a major American victory in the conflict.{{cite web|title=Tennessee State Library and Archives: Brief History of Tennessee in the War of 1812|url=http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/military/tn1812.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716184426/http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/military/tn1812.htm|archive-date=2012-07-16}}

During the Mexican–American War, the nickname "The Volunteer State" became associated with Tennessee. When asked by President Polk to provide two infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment, Tennessee provided approximately ten times that number of volunteers.{{cite web |url=http://www.tennesseehistory.com/archive/volpg.html |title=How Tennessee became the "Volunteer" State |website=www.tennesseehistory.com |access-date=13 October 2013}}

On May 7, 1861, in the early months of the American Civil War, The State of Tennessee entered into a military league with the Confederate States of America. The Tennessee General Assembly authorized Governor Isham G. Harris to organize and equip a provisional force of volunteer state troops. The organization of the force took place on May 9, 1861. The General Assembly resolved June 29, 1861 that the Governor was authorized to place at the disposal of the Confederate States the volunteer forces of Tennessee, and to place the defense of the state in the hands of the President of the Confederacy. July 31, 1861 the Governor ordered the officers of the provisional army should muster their commands for the inspection of senior officers from the Confederacy. Rolls of companies and regiments were to be turned over to the Confederate inspectors, which would act as a formal transfer of the troops from the State of Tennessee to the Confederate States. The transfer was concluded on August 7, 1861. The Provisional Army of Tennessee formed the core of the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

During the Reconstruction Era, violent activity by the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and former Confederate partisans led Governor William G. Brownlow to establish the Tennessee State Guard as a state militia to counter these anti-Reconstruction efforts. The Tennessee State Guard was a coalition drawn from white Unionists and Radical Republicans, as well as black freedmen; seven companies contained black soldiers, including one commanded entirely by black officers.{{cite book |last1=Severance |first1=Ben|title=Tennessee's Radical Army: The State Guard and its Role in Reconstruction, 1867-1869|year= 2005|publisher=University of Tennessee Press|isbn=1572333626}}{{rp|31}} During the Reconstruction Era, the Tennessee State Guard was used "to police elections, protect recently enfranchised freedmen, and thwart the operations of paramilitary groups such as the Ku Klux Klan."{{rp|dust jacket}}

In 1915, to replace the Tennessee National Guard after the National Guard was federalized, Tennessee created a paramilitary unit, the Tennessee Rangers, which was organized as a constabulary unit and fell under the authority of the adjutant general. In 1916, the Rangers were deployed to end the burning and destruction of properties in Stewart County by the Ku Klux Klan. The Rangers helped maintain order during World War I while the National Guard was deployed abroad until their disbandment in 1923.{{cite book |last=Stentiford |first=Barry M. |title=The American Home Guard: The State Militia in the Twentieth Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sNYc6alAb4IC&q=stentiford+home+guard+tennessee&pg=PA70 |year=2002 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |isbn=1585441813 |pages=70–71|access-date=4 December 2014}}

In 1941, prior to the United States' entrance into World War II, the Tennessee State Guard was reinstated by Governor Prentice Cooper. The State Guard received training and direction from the federal military, with approximately 100 officers spending two weeks training under army officers at Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia. Within a year, Tennessee's State Guard became the fifth largest in the United States, the largest in the South and the largest state guard in proportion to its population.{{cite web |url=http://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/StateGuard |title=Tennessee State Guard |website=Tennessee Virtual Archives |publisher=Tennessee State Library and Archives |access-date=4 December 2014}} One famous Tennessean, Alvin York, belonged to the World War II-era Tennessee State Guard, accepting a commission as a colonel in 1941.{{cite web |url=http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/1900s/p/World-War-I-Sergeant-Alvin-C-York.htm |title=World War I: Sergeant Alvin C. York |last1=Hickman |first1=Kennedy |website=www.about.com |access-date=13 October 2013}} The State Guard was activated numerous times, including guarding a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress which was forced to make an emergency landing outside of Pulaski, Tennessee; maintaining peace after a riot in Bristol, Tennessee; performing relief effort following a train crash in Jellico, Tennessee; and assisting in the pursuit and capture of three escaped German prisoners from Camp Forrest. By 1947, with National Guard units returning home, the State Guard went inactive.

In 1985, the Tennessee Defense Force was reactivated to provide a trained military reserve force for the Governor to call upon in times of emergency, and, in 1998, the name was changed by the legislature to the Tennessee State Guard.{{cite web|url=http://www.tnmilitary.org/SGHistory.html |title=A Volunteer Army of Tennessee Pre-Dates the United States |website=Tennessee State Guard Official Website |access-date=13 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112225503/http://www.tnmilitary.org/SGHistory.html |archive-date=January 12, 2014 }} In 1993, the TNSG was deployed to assist in recovery operations following a series of tornadoes which touched down in Tennessee.{{cite web |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/State+defense+forces+and+homeland+security-a0111852942 |title=State Defense Forces and Homeland Security |last1=Tulak |first1=Arthur N. |last2=Kraft |first2=Robert W. |last3=Silbaugh |first3=Don |publisher=The Free Library |access-date=16 November 2019}} After the attacks of September 11, 2001, state guard members were called up to guard the Naval Support Activity Mid-South base in Millington, Tennessee.{{cite web |url=https://www.nashvillepost.com/home/article/20446599/guard-duty |title=Guard Duty |last=Daverman |first=Richard |date=1 December 2002 |website=NashvillePost.com |access-date=20 August 2020 }} In 2004, during the Iraq War, members of the Tennessee State Guard were activated to assist the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment with pre-mobilization processing.{{cite web |url=https://www.greenevillesun.com/news/tennessee-state-guard-assists-with-national-guard-processing/article_7c14ef6c-c8d8-59df-9f08-7c12634f6a1d.html |title=Tennessee State Guard Assists With National Guard Processing |author= |date=11 March 2004 |publisher=The Greeneville Sun |access-date=20 August 2020 }} In 2005, Governor Phil Bredesen activated the Tennessee State Guard to assist with relief efforts from Hurricane Katrina.{{cite web |url=http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2005/10/katrinas-forgotten-responders-state-defense-forces-play-a-vital-role |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013023851/http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2005/10/katrinas-forgotten-responders-state-defense-forces-play-a-vital-role |url-status=unfit |archive-date=October 13, 2010 |title=Katrina's Forgotten Responders: State Defense Forces Play a Vital Role |last1=Carafano |first1=James Jay |last2=Brinkerhoff |first2=John R. |date=October 5, 2005 |publisher=The Heritage Foundation |access-date=13 October 2013}}

In April 2020, members of the Tennessee State Guard were activated to State Active Duty in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Members were tasked with providing medical support to Tennessee's COVID-19 Medical Joint Task Force.{{cite web |url=https://fox17.com/news/local/tennessee-state-guard-members-volunteer-in-fight-against-covid-19-04-08-2020 |title=Tennessee State Guard members volunteer in fight against COVID-19 |last=Jorge |first=Kaylin |date=8 April 2020 |publisher=WZTV |access-date=8 April 2020 }} Soldiers of the Medical Expeditionary Group (MEG), composed of members of the 61st MEDCOM and other members of the TNSG, were honored in August 2021 by the Tennessee National Guard for their 17 months of State Active Duty service during the COVID pandemic. Over 110 TNSG soldiers participated in the response to support the people of Tennessee.{{Cite web |last=Administrator |date=2021-08-26 |title=National Guard recognizes TN State Guard for their 17 months of Active Duty service |url=https://statedefenseforce.com/main/2021/08/26/national-guard-recognizes-tn-state-guard-for-their-17-months-of-active-duty-service/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=StateDefenseForce.com |language=en-US}}

File:TNSG members discuss coronavirus.jpg

The organization's responsibilities are summarized in the mission statement of the Tennessee State Guard, namely: "The purpose of the Tennessee State Guard is to provide a professional complement of personnel to support the State mission of the Tennessee National Guard, by assisting the Tennessee Army National Guard as a force multiplier, and at the direction of the Adjutant General, to assist civil authorities with disaster relief, humanitarian causes, ceremonial service, religious and medical support for the well being and safety of the citizenry of Tennessee."{{cite web |url=http://www.tnmilitary.org/tennessee-state-guard.html |title=Tennessee State Guard |website=Tennessee State Guard Official Website |access-date=13 October 2013}}

The Tennessee State Guard can be used to augment National Guard units in times of emergency, provide medical aid, security, funeral honors, high frequency (HF) communications and perform other stateside responsibilities generally performed by the Tennessee National Guard. The State Guard can serve as first responders to a natural or man-made disaster, and may integrate emergency response plans with local community emergency response teams. Aside from deploying to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, and guarding military installations in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, State Guardsmen, in preparing for their role as emergency response personnel, also participated in Operation Vigilant Guard in a disaster response drill organized as a mock earthquake disaster zone. Since the state guard is not a federal force, it is not prohibited from engaging in law enforcement by the Posse Comitatus Act, unlike federal military units. As the Tennessee State Guard generally provides non-combat support for the National Guard or state civilian authorities, guardsmen are not armed during duty, although no law exists which prevents them from being armed on the governor's orders.

Although the TNSG performs unarmed support roles during deployment, members of the TNSG regularly compete in the Mid-South Guard & Reserve Association M16 rifle and Beretta M9 pistol marksmanship competitions against Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard reservists as well as members of the National Guard.

In 2014, at the request of the 194th Engineer Brigade of the Tennessee Army National Guard, several National Incident Management System (NIMS)-certified instructors from the 1st Regiment of the Tennessee State Guard provided NIMS training to members of the 194th Engineer Brigade over a two-day training period. The State Guard plans to continue providing emergency management training to National Guardsmen based in other cities.{{cite web |url=https://sgaus.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/SGAUS-SDF-Times_December_2014.pdf#page=23|title=Soldiers of the TNSG Conduct a NIMS Two-day Training Session for 29 Soldiers of the 194th Engineering Bridgade |website=State Guard Association of the United States |publisher=Tennessee State Guard |access-date=19 December 2014}}

In 2019, the 61st Medical Company (MEDCOM) participated in Operation Ardent/Shaken Fury, an eight state cooperative exercise responding to a large earthquake along the Mississippi River. As part of the exercise, the 61st MEDCOM trained to triage, treat and transport disaster victims in coordination with other participating entities.{{cite web |title=Tennessee State Guard |url=https://www.govserv.org/US/Nashville/313481612452195/Tennessee-State-Guard |website=GOVSERV |access-date=17 April 2020}}

Any able-bodied citizen with a high school diploma or GED, who is a resident of Tennessee, and has no criminal record is eligible for membership, although preference is given to honorably discharged members of all six branches from the United States military. Civilians with specific professional skill sets, such as doctors, attorneys, chaplains or engineers, may be given preference for membership without prior military service.{{cite web|url=http://www.tnmilitary.org/SGRecruiting.html |title=Join the Tennessee State Guard |website=Tennessee State Guard Official Website |access-date=13 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112225743/http://www.tnmilitary.org/SGRecruiting.html |archive-date=January 12, 2014 }} All officers must have at minimum earned a bachelor's degree.

File:Tennessee State Guard Receives New Leader.jpg

New personnel with no prior military service are required to attend Initial Entry Training (IET) during their first year, usually held concurrently with Annual Training (AT). Prospective members are required to take several free online emergency management classes offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to earn the Military Emergency Management Specialist Badge. Tennessee State Guard training includes classes from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA).{{cite encyclopedia | year =2010 | title =The Tennessee State Guard | encyclopedia =The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture | url=http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1651 | publisher =Tennessee Historical Society & University of Tennessee Press }} The Tennessee State Guard also provides online training courses through the [https://pme.sgaus.org/ SGAUS PME Academy]. Training is conducted during drill days, which are held one day per month, and during an annual three-day drill during the summer.

All of the TNSG basic non-commissioned officer and basic officer courses are approved through the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia. In 2015, the Tennessee State Guard initiated in-residence courses to include Advanced Leaders Course (ALC), Officer Basic Course (OBC) and Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC). These courses are generally conducted once per year concurrently with Annual Training (AT).{{cite web |url=http://www.army.mil/professionalWriting/volumes/volume5/may_2007/5_07_3_pf.html |title=Volunteer Military Organizations: An Overlooked Asset |last1=Bankus |first1=Lieutenant Colonel Brent C. |website=The U.S. Army Official Website |access-date=1 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080711033407/http://www.army.mil/professionalwriting/volumes/volume5/may_2007/5_07_3_pf.html |archive-date=11 July 2008 }}

In 2010, the Tennessee State Guard launched a four-month military police class, with regiments from East Tennessee taking part in the pilot program taught at the Knoxville Police Headquarters.{{cite web |url=http://www.wbir.com/news/article/129930/0/Tennessee-State-Guard-starts-up-new-military-police-class |title=Tennessee State Guard starts up new military police class |last1=Butera |first1=Steve |date=August 7, 2010 |website=www.wbir.com |access-date=14 October 2013}}

The TNSG uses the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) in the UCP pattern as its uniform.{{cite web |url=http://tsg3.us/qa.html |title=Questions & Answers about the Tennessee State Guard |website=Third Regiment of the Tennessee State Guard Official Website |access-date=24 October 2013}} In the event that Tennessee State Guardsmen are assigned to work with the Tennessee National Guard as members of a flight crew, Guardsmen are authorized to wear the aircrew battle dress uniform (ABDU) if prescribed by the commander.{{cite web|url=http://www.jacksonbattalion.org/upload/1st%20DRAFT,%20TSGR%20670-1.pdf |title=TNSG Regulation 670-1: Dress and Appearance |website=First Regiment of the Tennessee State Guard Official Website |access-date=24 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204303/http://www.jacksonbattalion.org/upload/1st%20DRAFT,%20TSGR%20670-1.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }} For formal events, including military funerals and award ceremonies, the Dress Blue or Army Service Uniform (ASU) is optional for Guardsmen.

The Tennessee State Guard is organized as a Directorate Headquarters with four regiments. The headquarters are in Nashville, Tennessee. Offices and directorates reporting directly to headquarters include:{{cite web|url=http://www.tnmilitary.org/SGUnits.html |title=Tennessee State Guard Units |website=Tennessee State Guard Official Website |access-date=13 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112225521/http://www.tnmilitary.org/SGUnits.html |archive-date=January 12, 2014 }}

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• Directorate of Personnel Administration
• Directorate of Plans, Operations and Training
• Directorate of Security and Intelligence
• Directorate of Logistics
• Directorate of Civil/Military Support
• Directorate of Communications
• Directorate of Engineering Services
• Directorate of Training, Doctrine and Force Development
• Directorate of Information Services
• Headquarters Commandant
• Headquarters Surgeon Section
• Secretary to the General Staff
• Judge Advocate General Staff
• Office of the Inspector General
• Provost Marshal
• TNSG Academy
• Public Information Office
• Chaplains

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The battalions of the TNSG are organized into four larger units: the 1st Tennessee Regiment, based in Millington; the 2nd Brigade Support team, based in Nashville; the 3rd Tennessee Regiment, based in Knoxville; and the 4th Tennessee Regiment, based in Chattanooga.

File:Millington Mayor Terry Jones, TNSG.JPG The TNSG also includes the 61st Medical Company (MEDCOM) that provides medical command and support.

Like National Guardsmen and federal reservists, state guard members receive protection from termination or other forms of discipline from their employers as a result of being called into active duty or drill status under Tennessee Code Annotated § 8-33-110.{{cite web |url=https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2016/title-8/chapter-33/section-8-33-110/ |title=TN Code § 8-33-110 (2016) |publisher=Justia |access-date=23 March 2018}}

In addition to several ribbons issued by the TNSG, Tennessee State Guardsmen are allowed to wear decorations issued by other military institutions, including ribbons, decorations, and badges issued by the following institutions in order of precedence:{{cite web|url=http://www.3dregt2dmpbn.org/Regs/Operations/TNSGOP%20672-5%20Awards.pdf |title=TNSG Command Operational Policy 672-5 |website=2nd MP Battalion, 3rd Regiment, Tennessee State Guard Official Website |access-date=9 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917014117/http://www.3dregt2dmpbn.org/Regs/Operations/TNSGOP%20672-5%20Awards.pdf |archive-date=September 17, 2012 }}

• Awards from the seven Uniformed services of the United States, which includes the five branches of the United States Armed Forces (both federal and reserve), the United States Public Health Service, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
• Awards from foreign nations approved for wear by the U.S. Armed Forces
• Awards issued by the Tennessee Army or Air National Guard, or a different state's National Guard
• Tennessee State Guard awards
• Civil Air Patrol awards
• Coast Guard Auxiliary awards
• Awards from other authorized state defense forces (pending approval from the TNSG commanding general)
• Awards from the State Guard Association of the United States

State Guardsmen who have earned the Combat Infantry Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Ranger tab, the Pilot Wings, the Air Crewman Wings, the Submarine Warfare insignia, the Diver insignia, the SEAL Trident, or other awards or badges while in federal service may wear them on the TNSG uniform as prescribed by the United States Army uniform regulations.

The Tennessee State Guard issues the following awards:

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• 80px TNSG Valor Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Alvin C. York Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Distinguished Service Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Meritorious Service Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Com. Gen. Letter of Commendation Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Commendation Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Wound Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Life Saving Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Officer Achievement Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Enlisted Achievement Ribbon
• 80px TNSG TN Defense Service Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Search & Rescue Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Aid to Civil Authority Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Operation Desert Storm/Shield Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Operation Enduring Freedom Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Operation Task Force Volunteer Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Community Volunteer Service Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Soldier of the Year Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Good Conduct Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Officer Training
• 80px TNSG NCO Training Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Basic Entry Level Training
• 80px TNSG Chaplain's Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Volunteer Service Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Recruitment Achievement Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Recruiter's Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Military Readiness Ribbon
• 80px TNSG Service Ribbon

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• Naval militia
• Tennessee Air National Guard
• Tennessee Wing Civil Air Patrol
• United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

{{reflist|2}}

• [https://www.tn.gov/military/who-we-are/state-guard.html The Tennessee State Guard Website]
• [http://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/StateGuard History of the Tennessee State Guard during World War II on the Tennessee Virtual Archive]

{{State Defense Forces}}

Category:State defense forces of the United States

Category:Military in Tennessee