Is anyone here in a Militia?

[orangeninja]

I was just lurking about on some militia web pages checking out whats out there and found a volunteer military type organization officially sanctioned by the state of Texas called the Texas State Militia. They seem okay.

I also found some real oddball G.I. Joe looking pages. Some had pics of I guess them in training by crossing rivers etc.

I guess my questions are as follows. I don't want to appear judgemental and I know how much bad press indepedant militias have gotten in the past 10 years, so I would like to hear the reasoning from the horses mouth so to speak.

1. Why do it? What are you preparing for?

2. Isn't it expensive and time consuming?

3. What do the local law enforcement think of you or your organization?

4. Do you train? If so, how? and what for?

5. Have you ever had to become "active"? If so, why? how?

6. What are the core beliefs of your organization?

7. Do you bring skills from former police work or military duty in? Is it a requirement?

8. Do you aid your local law enforcement in anything or train or coordinate efforts with them?

These are serious questions and I would appreciate serious answers only. I would post somthing like this on a militia board, but I am wary of some of the kind of people who post there. I also believe that the government has used the militia movement in the past to ban weapons and villianize certain types of rifles.



Yes, I am a law enforcement officer, but I am also very objective and have never had to deal with militias before. I also am new to the job and very pro 2nd amendment. I know what the constitution says regarding firearms and militias and I would just like some experienced "vets" to clue me in as to what its all about. I don't like to rely on CNN for my info.

 

[morganm01]

You are in a Militia. The Unorganized Militia.


US Code
Title 10
Sec. 311. Militia: composition and classes

(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.

(b) The classes of the militia are -

(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.

Any Questions?

 

[geegee]

I'm getting some coffee.....geegee

 

[Treylis]

"What is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials."
--George Mason

"Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom? Congress shall have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American... The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or the state governments, but where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the People."
--Tench Coxe

If you're asking if I'm in an organized militia, no.

 

[Devonai]

Hey, you asked:

"The Massachusetts Volunteer Militia (MVM) is the most current incarnation of the old State Guard, known most recently as the Massachusetts Military Reserve (MMR). We are sanctioned and controlled by the Commonwealth, and fall under command of the Governor and Adjutant General.

Our mission is to support the Massachusetts National Guard (MANG) in as many ways as possible. In the past, this has involved armory takeovers and field training. Field training includes cold weather survival, navigation, and combat training. The MMR gained an excellent reputation for service over the past fifteen years, and was recently reorganized by the Adjutant General into the MVM in order to bolster our numbers and increase our effectiveness. Our mission statement was also changed from "support" to "homeland security," although this revision carries no weight with the federal government.

Volunteers must be at least 17 years old and in good physical condition. Physical fitness tests are not administered, but volunteers must meet height and weight requirements. Volunteers who wish to be involved in field training must also be able to perform up to a certain level of physical activity. Prior service in the United States military is welcomed but not mandatory. All non-prior service recruits must recieve a cursory level of introductory training before they can be assigned to normal Table of Distribution and Allowances (TDA, or "jobs") slots. Additionally, a marksmanship course must be passed before a volunteer may carry a weapon. This is the same marksmanship course National Guardsman use for re-qualification.

Basic CORI background checks are run on all new applicants. A letter from a doctor affirming that the new volunteer won't drop dead suddenly is also required.

Within the next two years the MVM hopes to have at least 800 members, to cover four Regional Support Groups. At last word, those RSGs were to be located in Springfield, Worcester, Milford and Reading. If membership runs higher than that a RSG may be organized in the Pittsfield region.

Our primary objective is to provide personnel to support the MANG during their once-a-month drills. Right now this means helping out with security at National Guard facilities including the 37 state armories. Later this year we hope to continue our combat training role, as many of our members are specialized in OPFOR."

Questions which were not addressed in the above:

2. Isn't it expensive and time consuming?

Since we can't be issued federal property, members are required to provide their own field gear. This can be accomplished for under $300 a person. As for training being time consuming, if you consider one weekend a month to be too much, don't volunteer.

3. What do the local law enforcement think of you or your organization?

Other than police officers who are a part of the MVM, we're not widely known to police agencies in the Commonwealth.

5. Have you ever had to become "active"? If so, why? how?

In WWI and WWII the Massachusetts State Guard played pivotal roles in securing stateside security interests.

8. Do you aid your local law enforcement in anything or train or coordinate efforts with them?

Not presently, but as our organization grows we would welcome any opportunity thereof.

 

[Logan5]

I've considered it. General information and links to each unit's website can be found here: http://www.ct.ngb.army.mil/militia/militia.asp

"These units trace their heritage to Colonial times and in the case of the First Company Governor's Foot Guards it has the longest continuous record of service of any military unit in the United States while the First Company Governor's Horse Guards shares that same honor for a military cavalry unit. Today these units are available to the Governor for service in state natural disaster operations and response to civil emergencies. Their combined strength as of July 1, 1999 is 325 officers and enlisted members. Annually they perform civic service at hundreds of official state, local community and private functions and at various historical and military celebrations throughout Connecticut and the nation."

It looks like fun, I've always liked parades. They do National Guard training, and there's a rifle team... What I mostly wonder, since they mention they shoot Colt Delta HBARs, is if the CT ban on those dosen't apply to them? Or are their rights infringed?

Anyway, from some of the original questions, I gather Alduro was asking more about the digging holes, eating chipmunks, and shooting at blue helmets type of militias... I'm not interested in that; they don't get to be in the parades.

 

[Cosmoline]

Most people here are likely in a federal or state unorganized militia, pursuant to statute.

 

[orangeninja]

"Alduro was asking more about the digging holes, eating chipmunks, and shooting at blue helmets type of militias"

Right you are. Those kind are kind of alarming to me, but in an effort to be non-judgemental I thought I would at least ask.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

organizing a local militia is a great way to meet ATF agents, FBI agents and Agent Provocateurs

 

[geegee]

organizing a local militia is a great way to meet ATF agents, FBI agents and Agent Provocateurs

Now, now...don't be so cynical! geegee

 

[Cosmoline]

It's also a good way to guarantee you'll be the first against the wall in the event of a true invasion. The strength of the unorganized militia lies in the fact that it is totally unorganized. There are no ranks, no codes of conduct, no nothing. Just people with firearms who are defending their homes. The code provisions are there to give such actions the color of law.

 

[Highland Ranger]

Devonai - sounds like your "official" role is to take over non-critical support roles from the National Guard in the event of an emergency.

Does that mean everyone has a security clearance or a background check?

 

[Devonai]

Cosmoline: Exactly whom is putting us "against the wall?" I imagine the worst that could happen is that we're disbanded officially. The organization wouldn't survive, but the core members would stick together.

Highland Ranger: I'm not sure how you define "non-critical," but providing security for National Guard installations stateside is critical IMO. If I didn't think so I wouldn't be a member. Otherwise your definition is essentially correct. Members are required to submit to a background check (CORI), and if we were ever tapped for security at a Massachusetts installation like Raytheon, I'm sure they'd want us to have basic security clearance.

 

[Highland Ranger]

That's actually pretty cool - didn't realize anything like that existed.

Combat in Boston aside (i.e. not an invasion) Where do they draw the line? i.e. Guard civilian installations (power plants, water plants etc.) Vs not guarding Nuclear weapons?

 

[GigaBuist]

I've thought about going to a few Michigan Militia things... but their website(s) seem to be pretty out of date and our "local chapter" encompasses something like 8 friggen counties I guess. Probably 2 guys from every county.

Yes yes yes, I know the media portrays them like a bunch of raving lunatics. Only way to find out just how nutty they are is to show up and see what they do though, right? Plus, I'm sure I'll get to meet a lot of FBI and ATF agents. Then fun part will be figuring out who's who.

I'd be down for some survival training and I figure it'd be a pretty good group of guys to teach me that stuff -- and I'm sure informal shooting competitions would help me hone up on my marksmanship skills. Same reason I want to take up hunting in the near future. I need to get out in the woods, hiking, etc, and re-learn some of what I used to know about them. About the only outdoor skills I have right now is picking a good plant for wiping my behind with. I forget the name of it by it's refered to as "Indian toilet paper" around here -- something I can spot quite easily from all the running I did years ago.

You do not want to be 6 miles from home and get a case of the runs. Ya gotta go, ya gotta go. Find a ditch and some leaves and let 'er rip.

I seem to be a natural for finding my way around woods... so it'd probably be a lot of fun. A day of hiking, learning for other guys, shooting, etc... can't be that bad, right?