The South Carolina State Guard (SCSG) is the designated

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 ...

for the state of South Carolina. The State Guard maintains its headquarters in Columbia. Battalions are located in the cities of Columbia (1st Midlands Battalion), Charleston (3rd Coastal Battalion), and Fountain Inn (2nd Highland Battalion). The Professional Services Command, including the Judge Advocate General section, Medical Detachment, Provost Marshal Command, Engineering Detachment, Search and Rescue Command (SARCOM), and Chaplains Corp are located at the State Guard HQ in Columbia along with the Chief of Staff Command consisting of the Cyber Security, Communications & Electronic Section, Business Development Section, and Public Affairs.

Status

Organized under Section 25-3-10 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, the State Guard is designated as a protective reserve military force under the command of the South Carolina Military Department and the South Carolina Adjutant General. The SC National Guard Adjutant General is responsible for organizing and maintaining the State Guard to fulfill its missions(Sec. 25-3-10) as stipulated in various sections under Title 25, Chapter 3. Tasked as a state defense force, the State Guard's primary overarching mission is to be prepared to protect and, when called into service by the Governor, protect the citizens and property of the state and uphold the laws of the state. Units are occasionally sent out of state by order of the Governor, as in the aftermath of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, after

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

and during the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

in the mid-1800s. The State Guard is essentially the modern-day continuation of the South Carolina Militia, which has been in existence in some form since before the United States of America became a sovereign nation. The State Guard is composed of non-conscript volunteers, many of whom are veterans of the federal armed services; the federal military reserves,

South Carolina Army National Guard The South Carolina Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the U.S. Army's available combat forces and approximat ...

, or

South Carolina Air National Guard The South Carolina Air National Guard (SC ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of South Carolina, United States of America. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force and along with the South Carolina Army National Guard an element of t ...

. When called into service, members of the State Guard are paid according to federal military pay scales (Section 25-3-140: "When units of the State Guard are called into service they shall receive pay equal to the National Guard"). Members were typically unpaid and considered volunteers for their monthly drill time until recently. In FY23-24 members became eligible to receive monthly drill pay. All members being paid receive an equal amount regardless of rank and hours logged so long as the minimum time requirement has been fulfilled for that month. Some Federal and State agencies and private employers provide pay continuance to employees during training during work hours under orders. Guard members also receive certain tax and mileage deductions and, when authorized, reimbursement for travel or special training. Assembled SCSG Personnel at SC State House

Assembled SCSG Personnel at SC State House

The Governor of South Carolina has the authority to call into service, the State Guard or any units, at any time the governor deems necessary to protect the lives and property of the citizens of the state, or if there is imminent danger or to protect the laws of the state (Section 25-3-20 & Section 25-3-130). The Governor can also activate units of the State Guard when a significant number of the South Carolina National Guard are out of state for federal service or when augmentation is needed. To fulfill its state mandated mission, the State Guard maintains a provost marshal detachment (PMD), composed of trained and certified law enforcement officers. These State Guardsmen receive continuous and rigorous training for law enforcement augmentation and other missions as directed. When activated, the PMD may augment state and local law enforcement agencies by contributing armed or unarmed State Guardsmen to assist law enforcement in many different capacities.

History

Origins

The South Carolina State Guard history traces its history back to the Charleston Militia in 1670. Former Commanders and Brigade Commanders include

Francis Marion Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was an American military officer, planter, and politician who served during the French and Indian War and t ...

, Andrew Pickens,

Thomas Sumter Thomas Sumter (August 14, 1734June 1, 1832) was an American military officer, planter, and politician who served in the Continental Army as a Brigadier general (United States), brigadier-general during the American Revolutionary War, Revolution ...

and

William Washington William Washington (February 28, 1752 – March 6, 1810) was a cavalry officer of the Virginia militia and Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, who also served on General George Washington's staff during the naval war with F ...

who recaptured the South from British occupation in concert with Continental forces under Major General

Nathanael Greene Major general (United States), Major General Nathanael Greene (August 7, 1742 – June 19, 1786) was an American military officer and planter who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War. He emerge ...

. The frigate ''

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

'' commanded by the naval component of the State Guard was responsible for capturing tons of gunpowder from the British to supply the state and Continental Armies in the early stages of the war. State Guard troops were instrumental in defeating the Spanish and securing Florida in the early 1800s and they served with distinction in the

War with Mexico War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organize ...

, the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, and 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 ...

20th century

The outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

pushed the U.S. government and military to prepare for possible conflict. If the U.S. entered the war, the

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

would be ordered to

active duty Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. Indian The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one of the largest active service forces in the world, with almost 1.42 million Active Standin ...

overseas, leaving no military force at home to maintain order. Because of this, the

National Defense Act of 1916 The National Defense Act of 1916, , was a United States federal law that updated the Militia Act of 1903, which related to the organization of the military, particularly the National Guard. The principal change of the act was to supersede provi ...

was amended on October 21, 1940, to allow the establishment of state defense forces. The

South Carolina Legislature The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and th ...

enabling act An enabling act is a piece of legislation by which a legislative body grants an entity which depends on it (for authorization or legitimacy) for the delegation of the legislative body's power to take certain actions. For example, enabling act ...

to establish a state defense force was an Act Establishing the South Carolina Defense Force, signed into law by Governor Burnet R. Maybank on March 21, 1941. The South Carolina Defense Force (SCDF) was organized into a

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

, four

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

s of three

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

s each, and at least one independent battalion. Initially those wishing to

enlist Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such as Israel, require ...

or be commissioned had to be between the ages of 21 and 55, in good health, and of good character. The minimum age quickly fell to 17 and there are indications that a few men served at an even younger age. The uniform was to be

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

gray. This was changed to standard

G.I. G.I. is an informal term that refers to "a soldier in the United States armed forces, especially the army". It is most deeply associated with World War II, but continues to see use. It was originally an initialism used in U.S. Army paperwork f ...

Olive Drab by 1943. The initial armament was the

M1917 Enfield rifle The M1917 Enfield, the "American Enfield", formally named "United States Rifle, cal .30, Model of 1917" is an American modification and production of the .303-inch (7.7 mm) Pattern 1914 Enfield (P14) rifle (listed in British Service as Rifle No ...

, later changed to a mix of

rifle A rifle is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a gun barrel, barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus o ...

shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...

Thompson submachine gun The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy gun", "Chicago typewriter", or "trench broom") is a blowback-operated, selective-fire submachine gun, invented and developed by Brigadier General John T. Thompson, a United States Arm ...

s, and a few larger weapons. The men of the SCDF were

volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

, serving without pay unless called into active service by the governor. The authorized strength was 518 officers and 6,035 enlisted men. According to the Adjutant General's report of 2 July 1941 there were 191 officers and 3,060 enlisted men enrolled as of June 30, 1941. (Among the officers was

Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902 – June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Before his 49 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South ...

, then a second lieutenant in Company L (Edgefield), 3d Battalion, 1st Regiment). By the spring of 1942, the number enrolled had risen to over 6,000. The mission of the SCDF — renamed the South Carolina State Guard (SCSG) in January 1944 — was to defend against invasion along the South Carolina

coast A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

and assist local officials in providing

internal security Internal security is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other Self-governance, self-governing territories, generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats. This task and rol ...

, including

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

. While invasion by sea was unlikely, there was a fear that the Germans might

land forces Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of Earth not submerged by the ocean or another body of water. It makes up 29.2% of Earth's surface and includes all continents and islands. Earth's land surface ...

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

. The SCDF was tasked with holding off enemy forces until troops could be brought in from Fort Jackson. Most of the time the men

drilled Drilling is a cutting process where a drill bit is spun to cut a hole of circular cross-section in solid materials. The drill bit is usually a rotary cutting tool, often multi-point. The bit is pressed against the work-piece and rotated at rat ...

and conducted defensive exercises to prepare them in the event an invasion did occur. Occasionally they were called out to provide security for crashed aircraft or after

natural disaster A natural disaster is the very harmful impact on a society or community brought by natural phenomenon or Hazard#Natural hazard, hazard. Some examples of natural hazards include avalanches, droughts, earthquakes, floods, heat waves, landslides ...

. The last official activation of the SCSG was to provide security in Greenville after the Ideal Laundry fire in November 1946. The last known wartime unit, Company E (Greenville), 2d Battalion, 2d Regiment, was mustered out on 8 August 1947.

Modern era

On 27 February 2018, the

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the ''ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

Henry McMaster Henry Dargan McMaster (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving since 2017 as the 117th governor of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was the 50th List of Attorneys Ge ...

, signed an

executive order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of the ...

declaring a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...

in the state's prisons due to the high amount of

contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") is any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It comprises goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes of the leg ...

, such as cell phones, being smuggled into the state's prisons. The executive order directed the SCSG to assist the

South Carolina Department of Corrections The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) is the agency responsible for corrections in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It currently has about 4,500 employees and just over 15,000 inmates, in 21 institutions. The agency has its headq ...

in securing the prisons by staffing and patrolling the exterior of the state's correctional facilities. In September 2018, 285 State Guardsmen were activated to serve alongside the National Guard during

Hurricane Florence Hurricane Florence was a powerful and long-lived tropical cyclone that caused catastrophic damage in the Carolinas in September 2018, primarily as a result of freshwater flooding due to torrential rain. The sixth named storm, third hurri ...

. November 2019, the State Guard chartered the “Swamp Fox” Explorer Post 1670 through the national division of

Exploring (Learning for Life) Exploring is an interactive, worksite-based career education program of Learning for Life, an affiliate of Scouting America. Participants in the program are called ''Explorers''. The program serves youth in 6th-8th grades (Exploring clubs), and ...

for youth 14 to 20 years of age. In April 2020, members of the South Carolina State Guard were activated to assist in South Carolina's response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Preparing for a potential shortage of hospital space, SCSG engineers vetted potential alternate care locations throughout the state against criteria from the

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

. In Charleston, the SCSG assisted the

Medical University of South Carolina The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is a public medical school in Charleston, South Carolina. It opened in 1824 as a small private college aimed at training physicians and has since established hospitals and medical facilities acros ...

by transforming a wellness facility into a 250-bed field hospital for potential patients.

Insignia and uniform

The State Guard currently wears standard US Army OCPs with modified black and grey nametapes. The left shoulder holds the State Guard patch and brigade/detachment identification tab while the right shoulder holds the SC State Flag and federal service unit patches, if applicable. Prior service soldiers may also wear skill badges earned while in federal service. SCSG

dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is among the most formal wear, formal type of uniform used by military, police, firefighter, fire and other public uniformed services for official parade (mili ...

s are similar to the U.S. Army Service Uniform (Class A and B) with distinctive unit insignia. Soldiers may wear all ribbons and awards earned while in federal service in addition to any earned while in service of South Carolina.

Legal protection

Employers within the borders of South Carolina must, under South Carolina law, grant a

leave of absence The labour law concept of leave, specifically paid leave or, in some countries' long-form, a leave of absence, is an authorised prolonged absence from work, for any reason authorised by the workplace. When people "take leave" in this way, they ar ...

to employees who are members of the South Carolina State Guard (or any other state's state defense force) whenever they are activated for training or in response to an emergency mission. Employers are required to reinstate these employees to their employment position when they return from their deployment, without loss of seniority, status, or salary.