South Carolina State Guard
Encyclopedia
The South Carolina State Guard is the State Defense Force of the U.S. state
of South Carolina
.
The State Guard maintains its headquarters in Columbia
, which is the state capitol, and brigade level commands are located in the cities of Columbia (1st Midlands Brigade and 5th Civil Affairs Brigade), Charleston
(3rd Coastal Brigade), and Fountain Inn
(2nd Highland Brigade).
. Under Section 25-3-10 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, the State Guard is formed as a separate military force under command of the South Carolina Military Department and the South Carolina Adjutant General
.
As is typical of State Defense Force, the South Carolina State Guard cannot be ordered into federal service (though it has occasionally been sent out of state by order of the governor
, as was done in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks). The State Guard is essentially the modern-day continuation of the South Carolina Militia, the state militia which has been in existence in some form since the 17th century. As such, the State Guard is made up of unpaid volunteers, many of whom are veterans of the federal armed services or members of the federal military reserves, South Carolina Army National Guard
, or South Carolina Air National Guard
.
When called to active duty, members of the State Guard are paid according to federal military pay charts. SCSG is not a civic organization, but formal military units sanctioned and provided for by state and federal law, and as such all soldiers of the State Guard are viewed as soldiers under state law. All soldiers within the SCSG swear the same oath as their National Guard counterparts and are equal parts of the South Carolina Military Department.
In case of insurrection within the state, the Governor has the authority to call the State Guard into active service to restore order. To do this, commissioned officers are granted law enforcement powers equal to a state Constable
. Elements of the State Guard are routinely called into service in response to natural disaster
s, primarily hurricanes, to coordinate effective evacuation of the coastal areas of the state. The Governor (or the Adjutant General, if the Governor is incapacitated or unavailable) can also activate the State Guard when a significant number of the South Carolina National Guard are out of state for federal service, as is currently the case with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. State Guard members are also trained for counter terrorism operations and other civil defense missions as part of the state's homeland defense policy.
Though by law the State Guard is authorized to bear arms in defense of the state, state command authority (Adjutant General and the Governor) have not authorized combat or similar training. the State Guard contributes to state emergency readiness by providing leaders with a ready pool of mobile manpower. The State Guard is organized as one light infantry division consisting of three brigades. Each brigade consists of between five and six battalions. A light infantry division contains at least ten thousand men and women. Current personnel strength of 1,015 is only one-tenth of the theoretical capacity of a light infantry division. This leads to a disproportionate bias toward senior NCO and officer ranks, leaving relatively few junior enlisted.
in Europe
pushed the U.S. government and military to prepare for possible conflict. If the U.S. entered the war, the National Guard would be ordered to active duty
overseas, leaving no military force at home to maintain order.
Because of this, the National Defense Act of 1916
was amended on October 21, 1940, to allow the establishment of State Defense Forces. The South Carolina Legislature's enabling act
to establish a State Defense Force was an Act Establishing the South Carolina Defense Force, signed into law by Governor Burnet R. Maybank
on March 21, 1941.
The South Carolina Defense Force (SCDF) was organized into a headquarters
, four regiment
s of three battalion
s each, and at least one independent battalion. Initially those wishing to enlist
or be commissioned
had to be between the ages of 21 and 55, in good health, and of good character. The minimum age quickly fell to 17 and there are indications that a few men served at an even younger age. The uniform was to be Confederate
gray. This was changed to standard G.I. Olive Drab by 1943. The initial armament was the M1917 Enfield rifle
, later changed to a mix of rifle
s, shotgun
s, Thompson submachine gun
s, and a few larger weapons.
The men of the SCDF were volunteers
, serving without pay unless called into active service by the governor. The authorized strength was 518 officers and 6,035 enlisted men. According to the Adjutant General's report of 2 July 1941 there were 191 officers and 3,060 enlisted men enrolled as of June 30, 1941. (Among the officers was Strom Thurmond
, then a second lieutenant
in Company L (Edgefield), 3d Battalion, 1st Regiment). By the spring of 1942, the number enrolled had risen to over 6,000.
The mission of the SCDF—renamed the South Carolina State Guard (SCSG) in January 1944—was to defend against invasion along the South Carolina coast
and assist local officials in providing internal security
, including search and rescue
. While invasion by sea was unlikely, there was a fear that the Germans might land forces
by submarine
. The SCDF was tasked with holding off enemy forces until troops could be brought in from Fort Jackson.
Most of the time the men drilled and conducted defensive exercises to prepare them in the event an invasion did occur. Occasionally they were called out to provide security for crashed aircraft
or after natural disaster
. The last official activation of the SCSG was to provide security in Greenville after the Ideal Laundry fire in November 1946. The last known wartime unit, Company E (Greenville), 2d Battalion, 2d Regiment, was mustered out on 8 August 1947.
s with black-on-olive drab insignia
on the collar indicating rank
, just as United States Army
BDUs. Name tapes on the BDU consist of a black tape with gray lettering. The left shoulder holds the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia and Brigade Identification Tab while the right shoulder is reserved for unit patches of combat units the soldier was attached to during federal service. Prior service soldiers may also wear qualification tabs and badges earned while in federal service.
SCSG dress uniform
s are variations of the U.S. Army Service Uniform (Class A and B). SCSG soldiers wear distinctive distinctive unit insignia, state-specific buttons, and a garrison cap
(instead of the federal beret
). Soldiers may wear all ribbons and awards earned while in federal service in addition to any earned while in service of South Carolina.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
The State Guard maintains its headquarters in Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, which is the state capitol, and brigade level commands are located in the cities of Columbia (1st Midlands Brigade and 5th Civil Affairs Brigade), Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
(3rd Coastal Brigade), and Fountain Inn
Fountain Inn, South Carolina
Fountain Inn is a city in Greenville and Laurens counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 6,017 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
(2nd Highland Brigade).
Status
The State Guard is provided for by the Constitution of South Carolina and other state lawState law
In the United States, state law is the law of each separate U.S. state, as passed by the state legislature and adjudicated by state courts. It exists in parallel, and sometimes in conflict with, United States federal law. These disputes are often resolved by the federal courts.-See also:*List of U.S...
. Under Section 25-3-10 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, the State Guard is formed as a separate military force under command of the South Carolina Military Department and the South Carolina Adjutant General
South Carolina Adjutant General
The Adjutant General of South Carolina is head of the Military Department for that state, overseeing the South Carolina Army National Guard, the South Carolina Air National Guard, and the South Carolina State Guard. The office is the only adjutant general in the nation that is an elected position...
.
As is typical of State Defense Force, the South Carolina State Guard cannot be ordered into federal service (though it has occasionally been sent out of state by order of the governor
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
, as was done in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks). The State Guard is essentially the modern-day continuation of the South Carolina Militia, the state militia which has been in existence in some form since the 17th century. As such, the State Guard is made up of unpaid volunteers, many of whom are veterans of the federal armed services or members of the federal military reserves, South Carolina Army National Guard
South Carolina Army National Guard
The South Carolina Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
, or South Carolina Air National Guard
South Carolina Air National Guard
The South Carolina Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is, along with the South Carolina Army National Guard, an element of the South Carolina National Guard...
.
When called to active duty, members of the State Guard are paid according to federal military pay charts. SCSG is not a civic organization, but formal military units sanctioned and provided for by state and federal law, and as such all soldiers of the State Guard are viewed as soldiers under state law. All soldiers within the SCSG swear the same oath as their National Guard counterparts and are equal parts of the South Carolina Military Department.
In case of insurrection within the state, the Governor has the authority to call the State Guard into active service to restore order. To do this, commissioned officers are granted law enforcement powers equal to a state Constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
. Elements of the State Guard are routinely called into service in response to natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
s, primarily hurricanes, to coordinate effective evacuation of the coastal areas of the state. The Governor (or the Adjutant General, if the Governor is incapacitated or unavailable) can also activate the State Guard when a significant number of the South Carolina National Guard are out of state for federal service, as is currently the case with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. State Guard members are also trained for counter terrorism operations and other civil defense missions as part of the state's homeland defense policy.
Though by law the State Guard is authorized to bear arms in defense of the state, state command authority (Adjutant General and the Governor) have not authorized combat or similar training. the State Guard contributes to state emergency readiness by providing leaders with a ready pool of mobile manpower. The State Guard is organized as one light infantry division consisting of three brigades. Each brigade consists of between five and six battalions. A light infantry division contains at least ten thousand men and women. Current personnel strength of 1,015 is only one-tenth of the theoretical capacity of a light infantry division. This leads to a disproportionate bias toward senior NCO and officer ranks, leaving relatively few junior enlisted.
History
The outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
pushed the U.S. government and military to prepare for possible conflict. If the U.S. entered the war, the National Guard would be ordered to active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
overseas, leaving no military force at home to maintain order.
Because of this, the National Defense Act of 1916
National Defense Act of 1916
The National Defense Act of 1916, , provided for an expanded army during peace and wartime, fourfold expansion of the National Guard, the creation of an Officers' and an Enlisted Reserve Corps, plus the creation of a Reserve Officers' Training Corps in colleges and universities...
was amended on October 21, 1940, to allow the establishment of State Defense Forces. The South Carolina Legislature's enabling act
Enabling act
An enabling act is a piece of legislation by which a legislative body grants an entity which depends on it for authorization or legitimacy the power to take certain actions. For example, enabling acts often establish government agencies to carry out specific government policies in a modern nation...
to establish a State Defense Force was an Act Establishing the South Carolina Defense Force, signed into law by Governor Burnet R. Maybank
Burnet R. Maybank
Burnet Rhett Maybank was a U.S. Senator, the 99th Governor of South Carolina, and Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. Maybank was the direct descendant of six former South Carolinian governors. He was the first governor from Charleston since the Civil War...
on March 21, 1941.
The South Carolina Defense Force (SCDF) was organized into a headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
, four regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s of three 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 each, and at least one independent battalion. Initially those wishing to enlist
Enlisted rank
An enlisted rank is, in most Militaries, any rank below a commissioned officer or warrant officer. The term can also be inclusive of non-commissioned officers...
or be commissioned
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
had to be between the ages of 21 and 55, in good health, and of good character. The minimum age quickly fell to 17 and there are indications that a few men served at an even younger age. The uniform was to be Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
gray. This was changed to standard G.I. Olive Drab by 1943. The initial armament was the M1917 Enfield rifle
M1917 Enfield rifle
The M1917 Enfield, the "American Enfield" , formally named "United States Rifle, cal .30, Model of 1917" was an American modification and production of the British .303 caliber P14 rifle developed and manufactured during the period 1917-1918.-History:Before World War I developed, the British had as...
, later changed to a mix of rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s, shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
s, Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
s, and a few larger weapons.
The men of the SCDF were volunteers
Volunteer military
A volunteer military or all-volunteer military is one which derives its manpower from volunteers rather than conscription or mandatory service. A country may offer attractive pay and benefits through military recruitment to attract volunteers...
, serving without pay unless called into active service by the governor. The authorized strength was 518 officers and 6,035 enlisted men. According to the Adjutant General's report of 2 July 1941 there were 191 officers and 3,060 enlisted men enrolled as of June 30, 1941. (Among the officers was Strom Thurmond
Strom Thurmond
James Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...
, then a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in Company L (Edgefield), 3d Battalion, 1st Regiment). By the spring of 1942, the number enrolled had risen to over 6,000.
The mission of the SCDF—renamed the South Carolina State Guard (SCSG) in January 1944—was to defend against invasion along the South Carolina coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and assist local officials in providing internal security
Internal security
Internal security, or IS, is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other self-governing territories. generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats...
, including search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
. While invasion by sea was unlikely, there was a fear that the Germans might land forces
Attacks on North America during World War II
The American Theater of World War II was a minor area of operations mainly due to the continent's geographical separation from the central theaters of conflict in Europe and Asia...
by submarine
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
. The SCDF was tasked with holding off enemy forces until troops could be brought in from Fort Jackson.
Most of the time the men drilled and conducted defensive exercises to prepare them in the event an invasion did occur. Occasionally they were called out to provide security for crashed aircraft
Aviation accidents and incidents
An aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
or after natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
. The last official activation of the SCSG was to provide security in Greenville after the Ideal Laundry fire in November 1946. The last known wartime unit, Company E (Greenville), 2d Battalion, 2d Regiment, was mustered out on 8 August 1947.
Insignia and uniform
The State Guard currently wears standard woodland Battle Dress UniformBattle Dress Uniform
The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...
s with black-on-olive drab insignia
Insignia
Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...
on the collar indicating rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
, just as United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
BDUs. Name tapes on the BDU consist of a black tape with gray lettering. The left shoulder holds the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia and Brigade Identification Tab while the right shoulder is reserved for unit patches of combat units the soldier was attached to during federal service. Prior service soldiers may also wear qualification tabs and badges earned while in federal service.
SCSG dress uniform
Dress uniform
Dress uniform , is the most formal military uniform, typically worn at ceremonies, official receptions, and other special occasions; with order insignias and full size medals...
s are variations of the U.S. Army Service Uniform (Class A and B). SCSG soldiers wear distinctive distinctive unit insignia, state-specific buttons, and a garrison cap
Garrison cap
A Side cap is a foldable military cap with straight sides and a creased or hollow crown sloping to the back where it is parted. It is known as a garrison cap , a wedge cap , or officially field service cap, , but it is more generally known as the side cap.It follows the style which...
(instead of the federal beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
). Soldiers may wear all ribbons and awards earned while in federal service in addition to any earned while in service of South Carolina.