Missouri needs reserve force

In 1956 Congress adopted 32 USC 109 titled "Maintenance of Other Troops." This formally created a state guard, state defense force or state reserve military force to supplement the National Guard.

On Sept. 9, 1982, Gov. Kit Bond signed Executive Order 82-17, which is still in effect, creating a Missouri Reserve Force. Unfortunately, the force was never implemented.

A reserve force is separate from the National Guard and cannot be federalized. Twenty-six other states have active state guard units, as do the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

During Hurricane Katrina, state Guardsmen were called up by the Texas governor, as were units from Alabama and Virginia. After Sept. 11, the Alaska 49th Military Police Brigade was called up by the governor to provide security for pipelines, railroads, harbors and ports. In 2007, the Maryland State Guard joined the Maryland National Guard for Exercise Vigilant Guard.

State guard personnel are uniformed personnel under the governor of their respective states, normally not paid for drill but paid when activated by the governor. State guard service would not exempt you from the draft as service in the National Guard would. Prior service would be welcome but is not a requirement. Prior service members could enter the state guard at the rank held on active duty with the possibility of a promotion to the next higher rank.

While state guard units in other states stress physical fitness, they can sometimes work around disabilities and age that the regular military and reserves/National Guard cannot.

This state guard/state defense force is the true well-regulated militia outlined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Since the first Gulf War and Sept. 11, our National Guard is increasingly deployed overseas, leaving little resources for the governor in the event of emergencies. It is time to activate the Missouri Reserve Force. Citizens throughout the state should contact their state legislators and the governor about implementing this cost-effective state-controlled force. Currently, the only active state guard in Missouri is a detachment of the Ohio Military Reserve in Barnhart, Mo. Incidentally, Ohio has a naval militia also.

John P. Fitts resides in Noel, Mo.