Oregon State Defense Force
| Oregon State Defense Force | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1961 - 2015 |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Allegiance |
 Oregon
|
| Branch | Army |
| Type |
 State defense force
|
| Role | Military reserve force |
| Part of | Oregon Military Department |
| Commanders | |
| Civilian leadership | Governor Kate Brown |
| State military leadership | Major General Michael E. Stencel |
The Oregon State Defense Force (ORSDF) is the official state defense force of Oregon and one of the three components of Oregon State's organized militia, with Oregon's Army and Air National Guard (ORNG) making up the other two. It serves as a state-level military and emergency services reserve force.
On the military side, the ORSDF assists, augments or replaces the National Guard as ordered by the Governor (e.g., during times of crisis or when the ORNG is deployed elsewhere). During emergency or disaster incidents, the ORSDF assists requesting civil or military authorities with rapidly deployable emergency communications, coordination, and incident command system expertise and support compliant with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rules.
As part of the official state militia, the Oregon State Defense Force serves under the Governor of Oregon rather than the President of the United States and draws its legal authority from Chapter 399 of Oregon law. Those statutes require that the ORSDF be made up of individuals that are not a part of the federal military services or the National Guard. It is an all volunteer force composed of former military personnel from all the military services and is a branch of the Oregon Military Department.
As of April 2015, the OMD has temporarily suspended the Oregon State Defense Force. However, a spokesman for the Oregon Military Department stated on record that the suspension was temporary and the ORSDF would return to active service. As of March 2017, the Oregon Military Department has yet to keep its promise.
Although Oregon militia units did not directly serve in the Civil War, they were called up to replace the federal soldiers who were called away from protecting the frontier and redeployed to fight against the Confederate Army. In 1866, the state militia was disbanded as federal soldiers were once again deployed in the Oregon territory. However, almost immediately after their disbanding, they were re-formed after legislation was introduced by State Representative Colonel Owen Summers.
During the Spanish–American War, Oregon provided the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment to serve in the Philippines. They were among the first United States forces to enter the Pacific theater of the war, and served with distinction. The 2nd Oregon Volunteer Regiment was the first unit to land in the Philippines, and the first to enter the capital of Manila.
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Wikipedia