The Tennessee State Guard (TNSG) is the

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 ...

of the state of

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

. The TNSG is organized as a

military reserve force A military reserve force is a military organization whose members (reservists) have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional ma ...

whose members drill once per month unless called to active duty. The TNSG is a branch of the

Tennessee Military Department The Tennessee Military Department is a department within the Executive Branch of Tennessee State Government with four major components. The Tennessee Army National Guard and the Tennessee Air National Guard constitute the National Guard in Tenn ...

, alongside the

Tennessee Army National Guard The Tennessee Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. It is administered by the Tennessee Military Department. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained ...

, the

Tennessee Air National Guard The Tennessee Air National Guard (TN ANG) is the aerial militia of the Tennessee, State of Tennessee, United States, United States of America. It is, along with the Tennessee Army National Guard an element of the Tennessee National Guard of the la ...

, and the

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) is an agency of Tennessee government tasked with coordinating the state government's preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and man-made disasters across the state of Tennessee. The ...

. The State Guard acts as a force multiplier for the state's National Guard. As a state defense force, the Tennessee State Guard cannot be federalized, and is not deployed outside the borders of Tennessee, as it is a purely state-level unit. It answers solely to the Governor of Tennessee, unlike the dual federal and state controlled National Guard. The creation of a state military force is recognized under Tennessee Code Annotated 58-1-401.

History

State militias

The Tennessee State Guard traces its origins to the American Revolution. During the

Battle of King's Mountain The Battle of Kings Mountain was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina during the southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in a decisive victory for the Patriots. The battle took pla ...

, approximately four hundred volunteers from the area known today as Tennessee crossed the mountains into North Carolina to fight against the British Army and Loyalist militias. They contributed significantly to the Patriot victory. Tennessee militias served in battle again in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

under

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

. After participating in the

Battle of Horseshoe Bend The Battle of Horseshoe Bend (also known as ''Tohopeka'', ''Cholocco Litabixbee'', or ''The Horseshoe''), was fought during the War of 1812 in the Mississippi Territory, now central Alabama. On March 27, 1814, United States forces and Indian ...

, they served with distinction in the

Battle of New Orleans The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815, between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the Frenc ...

, a major American victory in the conflict. During the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, the nickname "The Volunteer State" became associated with Tennessee. When asked by President Polk to provide two infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment, Tennessee provided approximately ten times that number of volunteers. On May 7, 1861, in the early months of 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 ...

, The State of

entered into a military league with the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...

. The

Tennessee General Assembly The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Tennessee Senate, Senate and a Tennessee House of Representa ...

authorized Governor Isham G. Harris to organize and equip a provisional force of volunteer state troops. The organization of the force took place on May 9, 1861. The General Assembly resolved June 29, 1861 that the Governor was authorized to place at the disposal of the Confederate States the volunteer forces of Tennessee, and to place the defense of the state in the hands of the President of the Confederacy. July 31, 1861 the Governor ordered the officers of the provisional army should muster their commands for the inspection of senior officers from the Confederacy. Rolls of companies and regiments were to be turned over to the Confederate inspectors, which would act as a formal transfer of the troops from the State of Tennessee to the Confederate States. The transfer was concluded on August 7, 1861. The Provisional Army of Tennessee formed the core of the Confederate

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was a Field army, field army of the Confederate States Army in the Western theater of the American Civil War, Western Theater of the American Civil War. Named for the Confederate States of America, Confederate state of Tenn ...

. During the

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...

, violent activity by the white supremacist

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

(KKK) and former Confederate partisans led Governor

William G. Brownlow William Gannaway "Parson" Brownlow (August 29, 1805April 29, 1877) was an American newspaper publisher, Methodist minister, book author, prisoner of war, lecturer, and politician who served as the 17th governor of Tennessee from 1865 to 1869 and ...

to establish the Tennessee State Guard as a state militia to counter these anti-Reconstruction efforts. The Tennessee State Guard was a coalition drawn from white Unionists and

Radical Republican The Radical Republicans were a political faction within the Republican Party originating from the party's founding in 1854—some six years before the Civil War—until the Compromise of 1877, which effectively ended Reconstruction. They ca ...

s, as well as black freedmen; seven companies contained black soldiers, including one commanded entirely by black officers. During the Reconstruction Era, the Tennessee State Guard was used "to police elections, protect recently enfranchised freedmen, and thwart the operations of paramilitary groups such as the Ku Klux Klan."

World War I

In 1915, to replace the

Tennessee National Guard The Tennessee Military Department is a department within the Executive Branch of Tennessee State Government with four major components. The Tennessee Army National Guard and the Tennessee Air National Guard constitute the National Guard in Tenn ...

after the National Guard was federalized, Tennessee created a paramilitary unit, the Tennessee Rangers, which was organized as a constabulary unit and fell under the authority of the adjutant general. In 1916, the Rangers were deployed to end the burning and destruction of properties in Stewart County by the Ku Klux Klan. The Rangers helped maintain order 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 ...

while the National Guard was deployed abroad until their disbandment in 1923.

World War II

In 1941, prior to the United States' entrance into

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 ...

, the Tennessee State Guard was reinstated by

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Prentice Cooper William Prentice Cooper Jr. (September 28, 1895May 18, 1969) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 39th governor of Tennessee from 1939 to 1945. He led the state's mobilization efforts for World War II, when over 300,000 Tenne ...

. The State Guard received training and direction from the federal military, with approximately 100 officers spending two weeks training under army officers at Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia. Within a year, Tennessee's State Guard became the fifth largest in the United States, the largest in the South and the largest state guard in proportion to its population. One famous Tennessean,

Alvin York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

, belonged to the World War II-era Tennessee State Guard, accepting a commission as a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in 1941. The State Guard was activated numerous times, including guarding a

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...

which was forced to make an emergency landing outside of

Pulaski, Tennessee Pulaski is a city in and the county seat of Giles County, which is located on the central-southern border of Tennessee, United States. The population was 8,397 at the 2020 census. It was named after Casimir Pulaski, a noted Polish-born general o ...

; maintaining peace after a riot in

Bristol, Tennessee Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 27,147 at the 2020 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundary be ...

; performing relief effort following a train crash in

Jellico, Tennessee Jellico is a city in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States, on the state border with Kentucky, by road north of Knoxville, Tennessee, Knoxville. Its population was 2,355 at the 2010 census. History The name "Jellico" is a local alteration ...

; and assisting in the pursuit and capture of three escaped German prisoners from

Camp Forrest Camp Forrest, located in a wooded area east of the city of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was one of the U.S. Army's largest training bases during World War II. An active army post between 1941 and 1946, it was named after Civil War cavalry Confederate G ...

. By 1947, with National Guard units returning home, the State Guard went inactive.

1985-present

In 1985, the Tennessee Defense Force was reactivated to provide a trained military reserve force for the Governor to call upon in times of emergency, and, in 1998, the name was changed by the legislature to the Tennessee State Guard. In 1993, the TNSG was deployed to assist in recovery operations following a series of tornadoes which touched down in Tennessee. After the

attacks of September 11, 2001 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 ...

, state guard members were called up to guard the

Naval Support Activity Mid-South Naval Support Activity Mid-South (NSA Mid-South, NAVSUPPACT Mid-South, NSAMS), in Millington, Tennessee, is a base of the United States Navy. A part of the Navy Region Southeast and the Navy Installations Command, NSA Mid-South serves as the Navy ...

base in Millington, Tennessee. In 2004, during the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

, members of the Tennessee State Guard were activated to assist the

278th Armored Cavalry Regiment The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment (278th ACR, "Third Tennessee"), previously the 117th Infantry Regiment, is an armored brigade combat team of the Tennessee Army National Guard with headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is the only Nationa ...

with pre-mobilization processing. In 2005, Governor

Phil Bredesen Philip Norman Bredesen Jr. (; born November 21, 1943) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 48th governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected in ...

activated the Tennessee State Guard to assist with relief efforts from

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. ...

. In April 2020, members of the Tennessee State Guard were activated to State Active Duty in 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 ...

. Members were tasked with providing medical support to Tennessee's COVID-19 Medical Joint Task Force. Soldiers of the Medical Expeditionary Group (MEG), composed of members of the 61st MEDCOM and other members of the TNSG, were honored in August 2021 by the Tennessee National Guard for their 17 months of State Active Duty service during the COVID pandemic. Over 110 TNSG soldiers participated in the response to support the people of Tennessee.

Duties

The organization's responsibilities are summarized in the mission statement of the Tennessee State Guard, namely: "The purpose of the Tennessee State Guard is to provide a professional complement of personnel to support the State mission of the Tennessee National Guard, by assisting the

as a force multiplier, and at the direction of the Adjutant General, to assist civil authorities with disaster relief, humanitarian causes, ceremonial service, religious and medical support for the well being and safety of the citizenry of Tennessee." The Tennessee State Guard can be used to augment National Guard units in times of emergency, provide medical aid, security, funeral honors, high frequency (HF) communications and perform other stateside responsibilities generally performed by the Tennessee National Guard. The State Guard can serve as first responders to a natural or man-made disaster, and may integrate emergency response plans with local community emergency response teams. Aside from deploying to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, and guarding military installations in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, State Guardsmen, in preparing for their role as emergency response personnel, also participated in Operation Vigilant Guard in a disaster response drill organized as a mock earthquake disaster zone. Since the state guard is not a federal force, it is not prohibited from engaging in law enforcement by the

Posse Comitatus Act The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law (, original at ) signed on June 18, 1878, by President Rutherford B. Hayes that limits the powers of the federal government in the use of federal military personnel to enforce domestic pol ...

, unlike federal military units. As the Tennessee State Guard generally provides non-combat support for the National Guard or state civilian authorities, guardsmen are not armed during duty, although no law exists which prevents them from being armed on the governor's orders. Although the TNSG performs unarmed support roles during deployment, members of the TNSG regularly compete in the Mid-South Guard & Reserve Association

M16 rifle The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...

and

Beretta M9 The Beretta M9, officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is the designation for the Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol used by the United States Armed Forces. The M9 was adopted by the United States military as their service pistol in 1 ...

pistol marksmanship competitions against

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...

, and

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

reservists as well as members of 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. ...

. In 2014, at the request of the 194th Engineer Brigade of the Tennessee Army National Guard, several

National Incident Management System The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a standardized approach to incident management developed by the United States Department of Homeland Security. The program was established in March 2004, in response to Homeland Security President ...

(NIMS)-certified instructors from the 1st Regiment of the Tennessee State Guard provided NIMS training to members of the 194th Engineer Brigade over a two-day training period. The State Guard plans to continue providing emergency management training to National Guardsmen based in other cities. In 2019, the 61st Medical Company (MEDCOM) participated in Operation Ardent/Shaken Fury, an eight state cooperative exercise responding to a large earthquake along the Mississippi River. As part of the exercise, the 61st MEDCOM trained to triage, treat and transport disaster victims in coordination with other participating entities.

Membership

Any able-bodied citizen with a high school diploma or GED, who is a resident of Tennessee, and has no criminal record is eligible for membership, although preference is given to honorably discharged members of all six branches from the United States military. Civilians with specific professional skill sets, such as doctors, attorneys, chaplains or engineers, may be given preference for membership without prior military service. All officers must have at minimum earned a bachelor's degree.

Training

Tennessee State Guard Receives New Leader

New personnel with no prior military service are required to attend Initial Entry Training (IET) during their first year, usually held concurrently with Annual Training (AT). Prospective members are required to take several free online emergency management classes offered by the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

in order to earn the

Military Emergency Management Specialist Badge The Military Emergency Management Specialist Badge(s) (MEMS Badge) are earned through the State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS) Military Emergency Management specialist Academy (MEMS Academy). The various skill badges are authori ...

. Tennessee State Guard training includes classes from the

(TEMA). The Tennessee State Guard also provides online training courses through th
SGAUS PME Academy
Training is conducted during drill days, which are held one day per month, and during an annual three-day drill during the summer. All of the TNSG basic non-commissioned officer and basic officer courses are approved through the

United States Army Training and Doctrine Command The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is a major command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces and the development of operational doctrine ...

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe is a former military installation in Hampton, Virginia, at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula, United States. It is currently managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth o ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. In 2015, the Tennessee State Guard initiated in-residence courses to include Advanced Leaders Course (ALC), Officer Basic Course (OBC) and Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC). These courses are generally conducted once per year concurrently with Annual Training (AT). In 2010, the Tennessee State Guard launched a four-month military police class, with regiments from East Tennessee taking part in the pilot program taught at the Knoxville Police Headquarters.

Uniforms

The TNSG uses the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) in the UCP pattern as its uniform. In the event that Tennessee State Guardsmen are assigned to work with the

as members of a flight crew, Guardsmen are authorized to wear the aircrew battle dress uniform (ABDU) if prescribed by the commander. For formal events, including military funerals and award ceremonies, the Dress Blue or Army Service Uniform (ASU) is optional for Guardsmen.

Organization

The Tennessee State Guard is organized as a Directorate Headquarters with four regiments. The headquarters are in Nashville, Tennessee. Offices and directorates reporting directly to headquarters include: * Directorate of Personnel Administration * Directorate of Plans, Operations and Training * Directorate of Security and Intelligence * Directorate of Logistics * Directorate of Civil/Military Support * Directorate of Communications * Directorate of Engineering Services * Directorate of Training, Doctrine and Force Development * Directorate of Information Services * Headquarters Commandant * Headquarters Surgeon Section * Secretary to the General Staff * Judge Advocate General Staff * Office of the Inspector General * Provost Marshal * TNSG Academy * Public Information Office * Chaplains The

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 of the TNSG are organized into four larger units: the 1st Tennessee Regiment, based in Millington; the 2nd Brigade Support team, based in

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

; the 3rd Tennessee Regiment, based in

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

; and the 4th Tennessee Regiment, based in

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

. The TNSG also includes the 61st Medical Company (MEDCOM) that provides medical command and support.

Legal protection

Like National Guardsmen and federal reservists, state guard members receive protection from termination or other forms of discipline from their employers as a result of being called into active duty or drill status under Tennessee Code Annotated § 8-33-110.

Awards and decorations

In addition to several ribbons issued by the TNSG, Tennessee State Guardsmen are allowed to wear decorations issued by other military institutions, including ribbons, decorations, and badges issued by the following institutions in order of precedence: * Awards from the seven

Uniformed services of the United States The United States has eight federal uniformed services that Officer (armed forces), commission officers as defined by Title 10 of the United States Code, Title 10 and subsequently structured and organized by Titles Title 10 of the United States ...

, which includes the five branches of the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

(both federal and reserve), the

United States Public Health Service The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services which manages public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The assistant s ...

, and the

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep-sea exploration ...

Awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

from foreign nations approved for wear by the U.S. Armed Forces *

issued by the Tennessee Army or Air National Guard, or a different state's National Guard * Tennessee State Guard awards *

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...

awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

Coast Guard Auxiliary The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGAUX, CGAux, or USCG Aux) is the uniformed, civilian volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. Congress established the military organization, unit on 23 June 1939, as the United States Coa ...

from other authorized state defense forces (pending approval from the TNSG commanding general) * Awards from the

State Guard Association of the United States The State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS) is a non-profit organization advocating for the advancement and support of regulated state military forces, as established by state governments under the authority of federal law. The SGAUS ...

State Guardsmen who have earned the

Combat Infantry Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces soldiers in the rank of colonel and below, who fought in active ground combat while assigned as members of ...

, the Parachutist Badge, the Ranger tab, the Pilot Wings, the Air Crewman Wings, the

Submarine Warfare insignia The Submarine Warfare Insignia (usually known as '"Dolphins"') are worn by qualified submariners. United States Navy Officers and Enlisted Sailors wear a Military badges of the United States, uniform breast pin to indicate that they are quali ...

, the Diver insignia, the

SEAL Trident The Special Warfare insignia, also known as the "SEAL Trident" or its popular nickname in the Navy community, "The Budweiser", recognizes those members of the United States Navy who have completed the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) trai ...

, or other awards or badges while in federal service may wear them on the TNSG uniform as prescribed by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

uniform regulations.

Individual ribbons

The Tennessee State Guard issues the following awards: *

TNSG Valor Ribbon *

TNSG Alvin C. York Ribbon *

TNSG Distinguished Service Ribbon *

TNSG Meritorious Service Ribbon *

TNSG Com. Gen. Letter of Commendation Ribbon *

TNSG Commendation Ribbon *

TNSG Wound Ribbon *

TNSG Life Saving Ribbon *

TNSG Officer Achievement Ribbon *

TNSG Enlisted Achievement Ribbon *

TNSG TN Defense Service Ribbon * TNSG Search & Rescue Ribbon * TNSG Aid to Civil Authority Ribbon * TNSG Operation Desert Storm/Shield Ribbon * TNSG Operation Enduring Freedom Ribbon *