Alaska State Defense Force

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The Alaska State Defense Force
Alaska State Defense Force Logo.png
</wiki/File:Alaska_State_Defense_Force_Logo.png>
The Alaska State Defense Force Insignia
Country United States </wiki/United_States>
Allegiance Alaska </wiki/Alaska>
Branch Army </wiki/Army>
Type State defense force </wiki/State_defense_force>
Role Military reserve force </wiki/Military_reserve_force>
Part of Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
</wiki/Alaska_Department_of_Military_and_Veterans_Affairs>
Garrison/HQ Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
</wiki/Joint_Base_Elmendorf-Richardson>, Alaska </wiki/Alaska>
Website http://dmva.alaska.gov/asdf/
Commanders
Civilian leadership Governor </wiki/Governor_of_Alaska> Sean Parnell
</wiki/Sean_Parnell>
*/(Governor of the State of Alaska)/*
State military leadership Brigadier General </wiki/Brigadier_General>
Roger Hall
The *Alaska State Defense Force* (*ASDF*) is the state defense force
</wiki/State_defense_force> of Alaska </wiki/Alaska>. It is one of 23
such forces in the U.S. states </wiki/U.S._state>.^[1] <#cite_note-1>
The Alaska State Defense Force is administered under the state
Department of Veterans Affairs, but is headed by a commander who reports
directly to the governor of Alaska </wiki/Governor_of_Alaska>, who acts
as commander-in-chief </wiki/Commander-in-chief> of the state defense force.
Contents
[hide <#>]
* 1 History <#History>
* 2 Duties <#Duties>
* 3 Membership <#Membership>
* 4 Uniform <#Uniform>
* 5 Organization <#Organization>
* 6 Government support <#Government_support>
* 7 References <#References>
* 8 External links <#External_links>
History[edit
</w/index.php?title=Alaska_State_Defense_Force&action=edit&section=1>]
The Alaska State Defense Force is the successor of the Alaska
Territorial Guard </wiki/Alaska_Territorial_Guard> founded during World
War II </wiki/World_War_II>. After the war ended and Alaska became a
state in 1959, the Territorial Guard was disbanded but was replaced by a
state militia </wiki/Militia> established by state statute. In 1984, the
*Alaska State Guard* was formed; it was renamed in 1987 as the Alaska
State Defense Force. In 2004, the name *49th Military Police Brigade*
(*49th MP BDE*) was also adopted for it. A later realignment of the
command's structure has utilized the new designation of *49th Readiness
Brigade (Separate)*, but the unit is still mainly known as the Alaska
State Defense Force.
The ASDF structure was primarily composed of military police
</wiki/Military_police> units. The units operated with mostly state
certified constables </wiki/Constable> under the Alaska Police Standards
Council. By statute, the Alaska State Defense Force must be made up of
no less than 75 percent former military personnel.
Following the September 11 attacks </wiki/September_11_attacks>, the
ASDF was tasked with guarding critical oil infrastructure against
attack.^[2] <#cite_note-2>
Unlike most of the state defense forces in the United States, Alaska
State Guardsmen trained and certified with firearms in order to achieve
proficiency to carry firearms when activated.^[3] <#cite_note-3>
However, in 2008, following an investigation of the leadership of
Brigadier General Thomas Westall, then serving as the head of the ASDF,
Governor </wiki/Governor_of_Alaska> Sarah Palin </wiki/Sarah_Palin>
ordered the ASDF to disarm.^[4] <#cite_note-adn-4> The current structure
of the ASDF is as a Readiness Brigade composed of readiness battalions.
The MP function is in abeyance until needed by the Adjutant General for
Alaska.
Duties[edit
</w/index.php?title=Alaska_State_Defense_Force&action=edit&section=2>]
The mission of the Alaska State Defense Force (ASDF) is to maintain an
organized, trained military force capable of timely and effective
response to state emergencies, or, on other occasions deemed appropriate
by the Governor, to provide military assistance to civil and military
authorities in the preservation of life, property, and public safety
</wiki/Public_safety>.^[5] <#cite_note-5> Previous missions assigned to
the ASDF have included manning a security checkpoint on the Dalton
Highway </wiki/Dalton_Highway>, traffic control after a Valdez-area
landslide, and safeguarding flooded homes in Houston against
looters.^[4] <#cite_note-adn-4>
ASDF has conducted joint operations </wiki/Military_operation> with
local city and state agencies as well as federal
</wiki/Federal_government_of_the_United_States> entities, including the
U.S. military </wiki/Military_of_the_United_States> as well as
government agencies </wiki/Government_agencies> such as the Federal
Bureau of Investigation </wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation>, United
States Department of Homeland Security
</wiki/United_States_Department_of_Homeland_Security>, and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
</wiki/Bureau_of_Alcohol,_Tobacco,_Firearms_and_Explosives>.
The unit missions to date have included Operation Winter Talon,
avalanche </wiki/Avalanche> rescue, Kenai Peninsula
</wiki/Kenai_Peninsula> floods and the Big Lake </wiki/Big_Lake,_Alaska>
fire. ASDF members have worked at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
</wiki/Iditarod_Trail_Sled_Dog_Race> restarts. Some members have been
detailed to work with the Alaska Railroad </wiki/Alaska_Railroad> police
</wiki/Railroad_police> as well as local police departments.
Membership[edit
</w/index.php?title=Alaska_State_Defense_Force&action=edit&section=3>]
Alaska state statute AS 26.05.010 established the Alaska Militia. It
declares: "The militia of the state [of Alaska] consists of all
able-bodied citizens of the United States and all other able-bodied
persons who have declared their intention to become citizens of the
United States, who reside in the state [of Alaska], who are at least 17
years of age, and who are eligible for military service under the laws
of the United States or this state [of Alaska]."^[6] <#cite_note-6> The
ASDF is constituted as a cadre of experienced officers and enlisted
personnel which is ready to organize the entire population, if need be.
The ASDF benefits from the experience of its personnel. Many of them
have technical skills in such areas as medicine, communications and
logistics. It is a volunteer force which contains the skills necessary
for operations in time of disaster.
Uniform[edit
</w/index.php?title=Alaska_State_Defense_Force&action=edit&section=4>]
The unit wears United States Army </wiki/United_States_Army> uniforms in
accordance with the AR 670-1.^[7] <#cite_note-7>
Organization[edit
</w/index.php?title=Alaska_State_Defense_Force&action=edit&section=5>]
The 49th Readiness Brigade Alaska State Defense Force consists of a
Brigade Headquarters, three regional Commands (North, Central and
Southern) and various Battalions within each Area Command. For example
the Northern Area Command consists of the 3rd Battalion (Fairbanks) and
the 5th Battalion (Delta Junction) and so on.
*In the past...* /The battalions </wiki/Battalion> below the
Headquarters </wiki/Headquarters> Element include a medical detachment
</wiki/Detachment_(military)>, waterborne operators, and an aviation
detachment./ The ASDF has its own academy in which individuals are
brought up to State training standards to be Constables. The headgear
worn varies on mission requirements.'
Government support[edit
</w/index.php?title=Alaska_State_Defense_Force&action=edit&section=6>]
Issues of funding, mission and the bearing of arms are listed among
common complaints and stumbling blocks associated with unit
effectiveness.^[8] <#cite_note-8> ASDF, when colocated with the Alaska
National Guard, was careful to never utilize federal resources to
accomplish its mission. Now, with their own buildings and equipment,
they are the most autonomous of SDFs.^[/citation needed
</wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>/]
References[edit
</w/index.php?title=Alaska_State_Defense_Force&action=edit&section=7>]
1. *Jump up ^ <#cite_ref-1>* Homeland Defense Forces for Homeland
Defense and Homeland Defense Missions
<http://www.gasdf.net/documents/DoDReportonSDFNov.20051.pdf>
2. *Jump up ^ <#cite_ref-2>* Tulak, Arthur N.; Kraft, Robert W.;
Silbaugh, Don. "State Defense Forces and Homeland Security"
<http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/articles/03winter
/tulak.pdf>.
Retrieved 25 December 2013.
3. *Jump up ^ <#cite_ref-3>* USFF Homeland Security Articles
<http://www.freedomfoundation.us/homeland_security>
4. ^ Jump up to: ^/*a*/ <#cite_ref-adn_4-0> ^/*b*/ <#cite_ref-adn_4-1>
Hollander, Zaz (28 October 2008). "Defense commander resigns after
complaints"
<http://www.adn.com/2008/10/28/570834/defense-commander-resigns-after.html>.
/Anchorage Daily News/ (Anchorage, Alaska: Anchorage Daily News).
Retrieved 3 January 2014.
5. *Jump up ^ <#cite_ref-5>* ASDF 49th Military Police Brigade handout
<http://www.ak-prepared.com/asdf/Acrobat_Docs/49th%20MP%20BDE%20handout.pdf>
6. *Jump up ^ <#cite_ref-6>* "Sec. 26.05.010. Alaska militia
established."
<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/statutes.asp#26.05.010>. /The
Alaska State Legislature Official Website/. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
7. *Jump up ^ <#cite_ref-7>* State Defense Force relies on members'
life experience
<http://alaskastar.com/stories/032306/mil_20060323039.shtml>
8. *Jump up ^ <#cite_ref-8>* Volunteer Military Organizations - An
Overlooked Asset
<http://www.ndu.edu/inss/press/jfq_pages/editions/i43/%209%20JFQ43%20Bankus.
pdf>
External links[edit
</w/index.php?title=Alaska_State_Defense_Force&action=edit&section=8>]
* Alaska State Defense Force homepage <http://dmva.alaska.gov/asdf/>
* Alaska National Guard homepage <http://www.akguard.com/>
Retrieved from
"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alaska_State_Defense_Force&oldid=6061
02854"
Categories </wiki/Help:Category>:
* State defense forces of the United States
</wiki/Category:State_defense_forces_of_the_United_States>
* State law enforcement agencies of Alaska
</wiki/Category:State_law_enforcement_agencies_of_Alaska>
* Military in Alaska </wiki/Category:Military_in_Alaska>
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