Welcome to the Vermont State Guard First BN
Information & Coordination Website (ICW)

Click HERE to visit the VSG Public Homepage.

The First Battalion of the Vermont State Guard is comprised of dedicated men and women, committed to serving the State of Vermont as needed and is looking for others who are wiling to serve the State Of Vermont when called upon. Prior Service members of the armed forces and/or highly qualified civilians who possess the skills, knowledge and dedication needed to perform their assigned duties are encouraged to apply.

As such, the First Battalion of the Vermont State Guard may be called upon to provide services during a state emergency, to perform humanitarian roles in special situations or to back up the Vermont National Guard in the event of an emergency or National Guard deployment. Such activations occur by order of the Governor, and under the direction of the Adjutant General.

What is the State Guard?

State Defense Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

State Defense Forces (also known as State Guards, State Military Reserves, or State Militias) in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government, although they are regulated by the National Guard Bureau of the United States Army. State Defense Forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor, as State Defense Forces are distinct from the National Guard in that they are not federal entities (all National Guard units were federalized under the National Defense Act of 1933 (National Guard Mobilization Act) with the creation of the National Guard of the United States). The federal government recognizes State Defense Forces under 32 USC 109 which provides that State Defense Forces "may not be called, ordered, or drafted into the armed forces" (of the United States), thus preserving their separation from the National Guard.

Although every state has laws authorizing State Defense Forces, approximately twenty-five states, in addition to Puerto Rico, currently have active State Defense Forces, each with different levels of activity, state support, and strength. SDFs generally operate with emergency management and homeland security missions. Most SDFs are organized as Army units, but Air Force and naval units (distinct from naval militias) also exist.

From its founding until the early 1900s, the United States maintained only a minimal army and relied on state militias to supply the majority of its troops. In 1903, the National Guard was formed to augment the militia and Regular Army with a federally controlled reserve force. During World War II, much of the National Guard was deployed on federal duty. Many states continued to organize distinct state militias (some building on ones that never ceased to exist) to defend their own territories and shorelines.

A new emphasis was placed on State Defense Forces in the 1980s, at the height of the Cold War. State defense forces were seen as a civil defense force in the event of a war with the Soviet Union where all National Guard units would be called up and presumably sent overseas.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, many SDFs saw a reduction in support and interest from states. However, with the recent emphasis on homeland security due to the September 11 attacks, SDFs are receiving new attention at the state and the federal levels as a trained corps of responders that can be called upon to assist authorities in the event of major emergencies. State defense forces have been called upon to carry out such varied missions as helping to provide security during the G-8 summit at Sea Island, Georgia in 2004 and assisting in the aeromedical evacuation of victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

Or, Click here for information on JOINING the Vermont State Guard, First BN

Please note that the ICW is restricted to VSG authorized personnel only.
Be sure to read and understand all security information here.

Webmaster: Maj. VSG Jarrett, Kris