American Home Guard: State Militias from World War I to Today, 2D Ed.

Since colonial times, U.S. states have created, maintained, deployed, and disbanded countless militia organizations to maintain local order. This book tells the story of these militia units--variously called home guards, State Guard, National Guard Reserve, and State Defense Forces--tracing their evolution into the National Guard, which also serves as a reserve of the army and air force. This history analyzes the challenges that faced the State Guards: providing relief during times of natural disasters, providing military training for future draftees, and broadening participation in military units during wartime by giving a role to service members who--because of their age or occupation--could not join the federal forces. The State Guard gained a new significance in the Cold War, with unpopularity of a draft and a shrinking in the size of the full-time military leading to expansion of National Guard functions. This continues to the present day, as state militias face new definitions of their role.