Puerto Rico State Guard
| Puerto Rico State Guard | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms
|
|
| Active | 1941–1946 1971–present |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Allegiance |
 Puerto Rico
|
| Type |
 State Defense Force
|
| Role | Military Support to Civil Authorities |
| Size | 1,500 state guards soldiers & airmen |
| Part of | Puerto Rico National Guard |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
BG Edwin I. Rivera-Malave |
| Ceremonial chief | Hon. Ricardo Rosello |
The Puerto Rico State Guard (PRSG) —Spanish: Guardia Estatal de Puerto Rico— is the state defense force of Puerto Rico that operates under the sole authority of the governor of Puerto Rico who, in turn, delegates such authority to the Puerto Rico Adjutant General. The Guard's secondary purpose is to assume the state mission of the Puerto Rico National Guard in the event that the National Guard is mobilized. The first incarnation of the PRSG was created in 1941 in response to World War II and it disbanded in 1946. The PRSG is one of the few state defense forces of the United States that has an air division.
The PRSG is a voluntary professional military corps and one of the Major Subordinate Commands of the Puerto Rico Military Forces, which includes the Puerto Rico Army National Guard and the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. The PRSG respond directly to the Adjutant General of Puerto Rico, is commanded by a brigadier general and is composed of main units in San Juan metropolitan area and in the cities of Ponce (South), Mayagüez (West), Caguas (Center), and Ceiba (East). The Puerto Rico State Guard is among the most active and largest State Defense Forces (SDFs) in the Nation with almost 1,500 troops organized in 6 Support Groups, a separate SAR Company, a Military Academy, an Air Base Group and HHQs .
The State Defense Forces (SDF's) (also known as state guards, state military reserves, or state militias) in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government and they are partially regulated by the National Guard Bureau. As a Constitutional Authority the Article I, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution endorses the existence and potential value of armies, the Navy, and the militia, and establishes basic roles for Federal and state governments with respect to their administration and operation. However, Article I, section 10 of the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from maintaining State Guards in times of peace, without the express consent of Congress. Provisions for states to maintain State Defense Forces (SDF) are outlined in section 109, title 32, United States Code(32 U.S.C. § 109 [2013]). They are probably the least well-known military element operating in the U.S. Initially established by Congress in the early 20th century and authorized in their current form in 1955, there were active SDF in 22 states and Puerto Rico, as of March 2014. SDF’s are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state. The US Congress recognized the need for governors and States to keep military troops even if the President calls the state National Guard for federal military service. For that reason, the Congress authorize the SDF’s under Title 32 of the United States Code.
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