CompuServe Messages

Don, The National Guard is NOT the state militia to which then Constitution refers. Until 1903 the states controlled their own militia — if the President wanted to use them he had to ask the Governors of the states. The National Defense Acts of 1920 and 1933 further extended federal control over these state "militias" — they became a federalized force, no longer the militia to which the Constitution refers. The National Guard is directly under the control of the federal government. The National Guard Bureau of the Department of the Army directs the Army National Guard units and the National Guard Bureau of the Air Force directs the Air National Guard. There are other reserve units, such as the Army, Air Force and Naval reserves, but they are not connected with the National Guard but are also federally directed. In other words, short of the state police, there is no such thing as a state militia and hasn't been in almost 100 years. -sja