Hi Jim,
Thank you for all you do and provide to us readers so selflessly. May you always have dry powder, socks and a multitude of blessings. I’m guessing you will probably get quite a few responses to M.K.’s article of State Defense Forces. I had mixed reactions to it.
First, let me state; I have always had the highest regard for the Military and the servicemen therein. Our family has had someone in the Military in every generation going back before The Revolution and still do. We even had a number that served in the early Militias. So my argument is not with the Military, Militias, SDF, Reserves or any of the other various forms of Service. It is with their bosses and our elected officials. I couldn’t help but feel that MK needed to do some more research.
Although there might be Federal laws now pertaining to what and where the SDF’s serve and that they can resign easily….all that can go out the window fairly quickly if TSHTF. All you have to do is go to the FEMA, Homeland Security and Government web sites and really read some of what is in there. So may new laws, acts, executive orders, etc have been enacted recently that have loosely worded clauses in them that would do away with many of the previous laws in the case of an emergency.
Heck, even the definition of “emergency” has become so misconstrued that it makes it hard to know what constitutes an emergency anymore. Or who the “enemy” is anymore. Almost all of them have this fun little clause hidden in them to the effect of…”or deemed by officials…”. This leaves the gate wide open. I think in the case of an “emergency” many in these services or medical fields or other “necessary fields” may find themselves co-opted in the name of “National Security”. I believe it is somewhere in the Patriot Act that lists all the professions and services that will come under the command of their new big dog in charge. Read the official stuff they have on line about Continuity of Government, 10 FEMA regions, Patriot Act and Emergency Contingency plans. All that we know and believe can go out the window in a heart beat. I can’t remember the Executive Order Obama signed in Aug/Sept but it gave him a tremendous amount of power and ability to suspend the known Government. Don’t assume what is law now will be the law when the TSHTF.
I also believe it is a little naive to think that there is an “ingrained unwillingness of most people to initiate hostilities with an apparently organized, uniformed, armed, military force moving through their environs”. While I do not believe many would “initiate hostilities” I do believe there could be a big mistrust of the above mentioned. Me personally, if I see those guys coming to town I’m going to be heading the other way fast. Not because I have anything to hide or have ever been in trouble with the law but because I no longer trust those guys. I don’t care what your official badge or credentials are. You can thank the TSA, rogue cops/swat teams and government fear mongering for that. It seems that citizens are now guilty until proven innocent. There are too many instances of innocent citizens losing their rights and civil liberties in the name of “National Security” to ignore this threat. No thanks! I don’t want to be corralled into one of their imagined “safe places”. Sorry, but I believe in the old adage of if someone shows up and says “We’re from the Government and we’re here to help”, then run!
In the last couple of years I too had looked at the invaluable training that the various service organization provide and seriously considered it. Bottom line was that I did not want to get “locked” into the organizations. Even if you only have Advanced First Aid your services can be demanded in the case of an “emergency”. It’s a registered certification and the government has the list.
My nephew served in Iraq and is career Army. He is now back in the states and I’ve quizzed him about some of all this. Even he has an alternate BOB and contingency plan and has advised all in our family to do likewise. I do believe their are a lot of honorable good guys in the various services and I want to trust them. Unfortunately, they are obligated to follow orders. I no longer have a lot of trust in the head honchos giving the orders.
Take care, do lots of research, use your own critical thinking and don’t assume all is well in the World. There are lots of little clauses out there that can make anything or anyone fair game ….”if deemed necessary” by the powers that be….or to be. – Skylar
Letter Re: State Defense Force Service as a Preparedness Training Resource
