New York State Militia

The New York Guard
The patch worn by New York Guard members
Active	1917–present
Country	United States
Allegiance	New York
Type	State defense force
Role	"To Support the New York military forces"
Part of	New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs
Commanders
Civilian leadership	Governor Andrew Cuomo (Governor of the State of New York)
State military leadership	Colonel David Warager (acting commander)

The New York Guard is the state defense force of New York State, also called The New York State Military Reserve. As of June 2008^[update], the New York Guard, a recognized command under the New York State's Military law, has line-item funding in the state budget.

Now with a unified command structure, formerly the organization contained an Army Division and an Air Division. The missions of the New York Guard include augmentation, assistance, and support of the New York Army National Guard and New York Air National Guard respectively and aide to civil authorities in New York State. New York also has a New York Naval Militia which, with the State Guard and the Army and Air National Guards, is under the command of the Governor of New York, the Adjutant General of New York, and the Division of Military and Naval Affairs (DMNA).

The New York Guard is one of the largest and best organized State Guards in the United States. It is historically derived from Revolutionary and Civil War era state military units that were reorganized several times in American history in response to various international and domestic crises.

Organized under the Military Law, State of New York, the New York Guard cannot be federalized and cannot be deployed outside New York State without the consent of the governor.

Members of the New York Guard are entitled to many of the benefits accorded members of other components of the 'Organized Militia of the State of New York,' the legal collective term describing the New York Army and Air National Guards, New York Naval Militia and New York Guard. These include 'military leave' for employees of state or local governments and many private employers.

For more detail, see List of New York Civil War Regiments

Many units of New York State militia saw service in the American Civil War, after being activated into federal service by President Abraham Lincoln.