Rump brigade
Encyclopedia
Rump brigade
s (also known as rump battalion
s, rumps, private military societies or provisional state militias
) in the United States
are voluntary private paramilitary
units that operate outside of U.S. Federal or State military command structures. Unlike National Guard and State Defense Forces
units which are authorized by state and federal law, are under the command of the governor
, and act as the organized militias under Title 10 USC
and
32 USC
Section 109 respectively, rump brigades are purely civilian volunteer organizations, self-organized and self-promoted, for charitable and educational purposes. The legality of rump brigades varies depending upon their purpose, wear of military uniforms, and a variety of other factors.
. The creation of a rump brigade is usually tied to the historical use of civilian home guards
and auxiliaries including state defense forces and official civilian reserves such as the Civil Air Patrol
and Coast Guard Auxiliary.
as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, which have tax-exempt status. Their corporate purpose is generally listed as education and benevolence. Participation with Federally-funded civilian volunteer corps programs, such as CERT
, is common. Such participation does not necessarily accredit rump brigades to take any specific action, but such training allows these organizations to respond to natural disasters and other civil crisis.
Some rump brigades claim to act as the de facto state militia. Critics of rump brigades usually accuse the organizers of self-aggrandizement or the group of attempting to start an illegal alternative to governmental armed forces.
compared to the number of enrolled members. An organization claiming a national presence may have as many as three or four flag officers, with additional flag officers at each state. The result tends to be that rump brigades are overly "top heavy" in officers with only a few company grade officers, noncommissioned officers, and relatively few private members compared to a similar numeric collection of U.S. Federal troops.
Unlike the German freikorps
following World War I
, current rump brigades generally have no wealthy sponsor and usually exist largely as paper tiger
s or only in one or two locations. Most rump brigades claim expansive geographic areas of coverage and wear impressive uniforms, but often have few programs or operations to support the illusion of a viable paramilitary organization.
On the Internet, rump brigade websites sometimes use links to Federal and state agencies, and to national volunteer recognition agencies, to create the impression that their organization is sanctioned by the Federal government. Only a few Federally-chartered veterans organizations exist, but these are well-known and do not generally use uniforms that resemble current U.S. Armed Forces uniforms. Examples of Federally-chartered veterans organizations include the Veterans of Foreign Wars
, the American Legion
, and AMVETS
. The aforementioned groups perform many of the benevolent purposes also claimed by rump brigades, including providing uniformed members for honor guards and funerals, and supporting local disaster response efforts.
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s (also known as rump battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s, rumps, private military societies or provisional state militias
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
are voluntary private paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
units that operate outside of U.S. Federal or State military command structures. Unlike National Guard and State Defense Forces
State Defense Forces
State defense forces in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government; they are partially regulated by the National Guard Bureau but they are not a part of the Army National Guard of the United States...
units which are authorized by state and federal law, are under the command of the governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
, and act as the organized militias under Title 10 USC
Title 10 of the United States Code
Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of armed forces in the United States Code.It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense...
and
32 USC
Title 32 of the United States Code
Title 32 of the United States Code outlines the role of the United States National Guard in the United States Code.—Organization—Personnel—Training—Service, Supply, And Procurement—Homeland Defense Activities-External links:...
Section 109 respectively, rump brigades are purely civilian volunteer organizations, self-organized and self-promoted, for charitable and educational purposes. The legality of rump brigades varies depending upon their purpose, wear of military uniforms, and a variety of other factors.
Origins
There is little data on the origin of rump brigades in the U.S. In recent years some local militias have been created as part of the Constitutional militia movementConstitutional militia movement
The modern constitutional militia movement, the constitutionalist wing of the "militia movement" in the United States, became active in the mid 1990s in response to outrage about the violent confrontation at Ruby Ridge, the Waco Siege and gun control legislation...
. The creation of a rump brigade is usually tied to the historical use of civilian home guards
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
and auxiliaries including state defense forces and official civilian reserves such as the Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
and Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Legal Status
Many rump brigades are corporations that are approved by the IRSInternal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, which have tax-exempt status. Their corporate purpose is generally listed as education and benevolence. Participation with Federally-funded civilian volunteer corps programs, such as CERT
Cert
Cert or CERT may refer to:* Certificate, an official document* Certiorari, a Latin legal term for a court order requiring judicial review of a case...
, is common. Such participation does not necessarily accredit rump brigades to take any specific action, but such training allows these organizations to respond to natural disasters and other civil crisis.
Some rump brigades claim to act as the de facto state militia. Critics of rump brigades usually accuse the organizers of self-aggrandizement or the group of attempting to start an illegal alternative to governmental armed forces.
Organization
Rump brigades tend to have a disproportionate number of flag rank officersFlag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
compared to the number of enrolled members. An organization claiming a national presence may have as many as three or four flag officers, with additional flag officers at each state. The result tends to be that rump brigades are overly "top heavy" in officers with only a few company grade officers, noncommissioned officers, and relatively few private members compared to a similar numeric collection of U.S. Federal troops.
Unlike the German freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, current rump brigades generally have no wealthy sponsor and usually exist largely as paper tiger
Paper tiger
Paper tiger is a literal English translation of the Chinese phrase zhǐlǎohǔ , meaning something that seems as threatening as a tiger, but is really harmless. This Chinese colloquialism is similar to the English phrase "its bark is worse than its bite"....
s or only in one or two locations. Most rump brigades claim expansive geographic areas of coverage and wear impressive uniforms, but often have few programs or operations to support the illusion of a viable paramilitary organization.
On the Internet, rump brigade websites sometimes use links to Federal and state agencies, and to national volunteer recognition agencies, to create the impression that their organization is sanctioned by the Federal government. Only a few Federally-chartered veterans organizations exist, but these are well-known and do not generally use uniforms that resemble current U.S. Armed Forces uniforms. Examples of Federally-chartered veterans organizations include the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
, the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, and AMVETS
AMVETS
AMVETS or American Veterans is a volunteer-led organization formed by World War II veterans which accepts honorably discharged veterans as members....
. The aforementioned groups perform many of the benevolent purposes also claimed by rump brigades, including providing uniformed members for honor guards and funerals, and supporting local disaster response efforts.