The Rhode Island State Guard is the currently inactive

state defense force In the United States, state defense forces (SDFs) are military units that operate under the sole authority of a State governments of the United States, state government. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are unde ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

. As a state defense force, the Rhode Island State Guard served as a state military unit which assumed the stateside duties of the

Rhode Island National Guard The Rhode Island National Guard consists of the: * Rhode Island Army National Guardbr>* Rhode Island Air National Guardbr>** 102nd Information Warfare Squadron ** 143d Airlift Wing ** 281st Combat Communications Group ** 282nd Combat Communicat ...

when the National Guard was in federal service. However, unlike the National Guard, the State Guard, when organized, answers solely to the

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Dan McKee, a member of the Democrati ...

and by law cannot be federalized or deployed outside the borders of Rhode Island.

History

History of predecessor units

Prior to the creation of the

National Guard of the United States National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, the United States maintained a small professional army which, in times of war, would be supplemented by volunteer militia units raised by individual states. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, the

1st Rhode Island Regiment The 1st Rhode Island Regiment (also known as Varnum's Regiment, the 9th Continental Regiment, the Black Regiment, the Rhode Island Regiment, and Olney's Battalion) was a regiment in the Continental Army raised in Rhode Island during the Amer ...

was raised to serve in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

. Rhode Island raised

multiple units A multiple-unit train (or multiple unit (MU)) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more Coach (rail), carriages joined, and where one or more of the carriages have the means of propulsion built in. By contrast, a locomotive-hauled ...

to fight for the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. During the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, the 1st Regiment, Rhode Island Volunteers, was mustered into federal service but did not see combat.

World War I

The

Militia Act of 1903 The Militia Act of 1903 (), also known as the Efficiency in Militia Act of 1903 or the Dick Act, was legislation enacted by the United States Congress to create what would become the modern National Guard from a subset of the militia, and codify ...

federalized state militias and placed them under federal control. When the National Guard was deployed abroad during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, states were forced to raise replacement units to provide homeland security capabilities. During World War I, Rhode Island raised 18 companies of State Guard, composed of 100 men each, and established a headquarters and supply company, a machine-gun detachment and a sanitary detachment. In order to equip the State Guard, the state purchased .38 revolvers from private dealers, and obtained five hundred .45 caliber

Springfield rifle The term Springfield rifle may refer to any one of several types of small arms produced by the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, for the United States armed forces. In modern usage, the term "Springfield rifle" most commonly ref ...

s and two hundred fifty .30 caliber Krag–Jørgensen rifles from the federal government. The state also possessed an additional six hundred .45 caliber

World War II

The State Guard was reactivated in 1940, reaching the size of one regiment. The Rhode Island State Guard reached a strength of over 1,300 men during the war. Rhode Island also formed the Rhode Island State Guard Reserve during the war.

Korean War

On the onset of the Korean War, several states, including Rhode Island, reactivated their state defense forces at cadre strength as a safeguard against the possibility of their National Guard units being federalized.

Cold War

The Rhode Island State Guard was reactivated in 1987 and renamed the Rhode Island State Defense Force. By 1990, it consisted of only three members.

Legal status

State defense forces are given legal recognition by the federal government under Title 32, Section 109 of the

United States Code The United States Code (formally The Code of Laws of the United States of America) is the official Codification (law), codification of the general and permanent Law of the United States#Federal law, federal statutes of the United States. It ...

. The authority to maintain independent chartered military organizations separate of the National Guard is recognized under Rhode Island Law. Chapter 30-5, section 30-5-5 of the Rhode Island General Laws allows the

to call and organize portions of the unorganized militia whenever it is deemed necessary, and required when the

is in federal service.

Legal protection

Under Rhode Island law, no employer may fire an employee due to the employee's membership in the Rhode Island State Guard, or due to their obligation to perform military service, or attempt to hinder their ability to perform military service. Nor may employers threaten or otherwise insinuate that an employee will suffer repercussions from the employer as a result of his or her service with the Rhode Island State Guard. Any employer or agent of an employer who is guilty of these offenses is guilty of a

misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than admi ...

offense.

References

{{Authority control Military in Rhode Island State defense forces of the United States