History
The GA State Defense Force traces its roots back to the Battle of Bloody Marsh in 1742, near Fort Frederica on St. Simons island, when during the war between England and Spain, Georgians joined General James Oglethorpe in repelling Spanish invading forces.
Later on the state militia joined General Georgia Washington against the British during the fight for American Independence and continued on as a volunteer force into the 1800s.
When the War Between The States broke out after Georgia seceded from the Union on Jan. 19, 1861 and shortly thereafter joined the Confederacy, Georgians volunteered to serve in several hundred regiments, including those that remained at home to defend the state.
Known as the Georgia State Guard after WWI, they were called out by the Governor several times to put down unrest.
During WWII, the State Guard, numbering over 8,000 soldiers, guarded inportant locations (utilities, plants, critical building, etc) and were trained to counter a potential invasion on the coast. Following the war it began to diminish in 1946 and was finally deactivated in 1951.
Reorganized in 1973, the Georgia State Guard acted as a back up to the police force in time of need. In 1985 the legislature gave the State Guard the mission of filling the gaps left by Georgia National Guard troops called into Federal service.
The present day Georgia State Defense force is one branch of the GA Department of Defense. The other two branches being the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.
