I remember nearly one year ago when California was last ablaze, and how the fire fighters and civil defense workers called upon the Citizen Soldiers to assist in fighting the blaze and getting citizens to safety.  Here is an old snippet from the CSMR's home page:

Operation Fall Blaze
Joint Forces Headquarters, Sacramento

"Serving alongside their Army and Air Guard brethren are over 100 citizen soldiers of the California State Military Reserve (CSMR). Their mission is to support and provide a force multiplier for California's Army/Air Guard troops.

Fully integrated with California's Army/Air Guard, at first glance you might not notice these mission critical soldiers -- you can spot them by the "California" patch just above their heart. You'll find them working 24/7 in the Joint Operations Center, or taking incoming requests for aid at the California Office of Emergency Services. Perhaps you caught a glimpse of them on your local news, in the field coordinating military aid requests from emergency personnel on the line and many other duties.

They're your friends and neighbors, citizen soldiers serving within California in the finest volunteer tradition. They are there to support their fellow soldiers serving in state and federal National Guard roles, and they're always ready to answer the call when disaster strikes their fellow Californians.

Does that sound like you?

Would you like to be there working the solution instead of watching it on TV?

Give us a call at 866-526-4543.
Prior military service is not required, willingness to serve and a dedication to excellence is. The California State Military Reserve may be just what you've been looking for."

snippet source: http://www.calguard.ca.gov/casmr/Pages/default.aspx

Many of California's soldiers received medals for their hard work in Operation Fall Blaze, including several men from my unit, ISG.  This summer, California has a high record of wildfires burning across the land, and onfce again the California Nationl Guard is mobilizing to assist the fire fighters and civil defense crews.  See this news article:

"FRESNO - With wildfires now burning in Northern, Central and Southern California, National Guard troops on Wednesday were preparing to deploy to fire lines — the first time the military has been called to ground-based firefighting duty in California since 1977.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday ordered 200 guardsmen to report for fire training to begin assisting on the fire lines early next week. The extra hands are expected to boost the nearly 19,000 personnel currently fighting hundreds of fires up and down, as well as across, California.

"I think that they all are doing a great job, but the danger is that our firefighters get stretched thin," the governor said of the existing crews. "A lot of them are working overtime, and they are staying up there for more than 12 hours, sometimes 24 hours, 36 hours. So we have to be very careful that they get enough sleep and they get enough rest."

The governor and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Paulison, planned to visit Big Sur on Wednesday for a briefing on firefighting efforts in that hard-hit region.

Drought, high temperatures and lightning storms have contributed to more than 680 square miles of land being charred statewide in the past two weeks — from the north near the border with Oregon, to Santa Barbara in the south and Yosemite National Park in the east, where three fires were burning near the park boundaries.

The blazes have destroyed 60 homes and other buildings and are threatening more than 8,000 residences, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Federal fire managers predict an increase in severe wildfire activity in Northern California through October due to unusually hot, dry weather and scant rain."

article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25494278

That's proof positive of how much California, and the whole country, needs the National Guard, including the CSMR, since the CA ARNG and ANG wouldn't be able to function as efficiently as they do without the CA SMR.

Go CSMR!  Hooah!!!

This blog aws originally published at www.myspace.com/smrfoster and was not endorsed by the CSMR, the California Military Department, or the State of California.

What are state defense forces?  The dictionary term (according to Wikipedia) for state defense forces "(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, although they are regulated by the National Guard Bereau."

Even though the state defense forces aren't federal forces, they are fully legitimate military organizations that play a vital role in homeland defense, and they play an even more vital role as fighting forces during war time.  Right now, there are two wars this country is engaged in and more and more are the state defense forces being called upon to assist the federal National Guard as many of their National Guard counterparts are being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.  The state defense forces have been federally mobilized many times during the past-- during both World Wars, the Korean War, and during natural disasters.

California has its own state defense force: the California State Military Reserve.  The CSMR is a prestigious military organization that has lended many of its men and women to the services of the federal National Guard many times in the last several years.

In 2005, members of the CSMR were federally mobilized and deployed to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  In late 2007 and early 2008 as the State of California suffered severe damages from wildfires and flooding, the CSMR was right there with the Army and Air National Guard units.

The CSMR was at it's best during World War II-- there were over 14,000 state reservists then.  There are 700 of us now.  The CSMR suffered dwindling numbers for decades, but ever since 9/11 the organization has received the applications of hundreds of patriots of all creeds, as young as 18 and as old as 62, dedicated to preserving the defense of the United States.

The Installation Support Group at the Joint Forces Training Base has had the privelege of its membership more than doubling.  This growth is good, because there is a lot to do during our nation's trying times. 

The CSMR needs Californians to enlist!  As the Army and Air Nationl Guard's mission objectives grow, the CSMR's mission grows as well.  Luckily, patriotic Americans have been answering the call to service, and they have the gratitude of their country.

UPDATE FOR NON-CALIFORNIANS

Are you living outside of California, but you want to give one weekend a month to serve in the armed forces? Join your state defense force! The following is a list of current active state reserves:

Alabama State Defense Force
Alaska State Defense Force
Alaska Naval Militia
Connecticut State Militia
Georgia State Defense Force
Indiana Guard Reserve
Illinois Naval Militia
Maryland Defense Force
Massachusetts State Guard
Michigan Volunteer Defense Force
Mississippi State Guard
New Jersey Naval Militia
New Mexico State Defense Force
New York Guard
New York Naval Militia
Ohio Military Reserve
Ohio Naval Militia
Oregon State Defense Force
Puerto Rico State Guard
South Carolina State Guard
Tennessee State Guard
Texas State Guard
Texas State Guard Maritime Regiment
Vermont State Guard
Virginia State Defense Force
Washington State Guard

And if you don't live in any of those states, but are still interested in being a Citizen Soldier, the Army National Guard, Air National Guard or Coast Guard can be found in every state!

This blog was originally published February 15, 2008 at www.myspace.com/smrfoster.  The blog you have just read is the independent writing of PFC Foster and has not been endorsed or sponsored by the CSMR, National Guard, or the State of California.