I extend my deepest compliments and gratitude to the incredible healthcare volunteers serving in State Defense Forces across our nation. Your commitment, professionalism, and readiness are the foundation upon which our state and federal disaster response capabilities are built.

The launch of the SGAUS Medical Badge program represents a major step forward in standardizing and recognizing your dedication. This program is the result of focused, determined collaboration. I had the privilege of meeting repeatedly at both the 2024 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, and the 2025 Annual Conference in Tampa, Florida, with SGAUS leadership.  Their dedication to get our healthcare responders verifiable training toward paid missions is why we are here.

During these crucial meetings, it was also a great honor to meet directly with leaders from the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM), who, along with other national and state emergency management leaders, are eagerly watching the caliber of the emergency response operators SGAUS academies are training and badging. Our collective goal remains simple: to create a national badge program firmly locked into national standards and directly linked to real, paid activation qualifications through the FEMA National Qualification System (NQS).

This structure—Basic (EMT), Senior (Paramedic), and Master (Clinician)—provides a clear, objective path for every healthcare professional in our ranks, ensuring we speak the same language as our federal partners during joint operations.

While this guide establishes essential national baselines for training and qualification, we recognize that every state has unique missions, demographics, and environments. This program provides the floor, not the ceiling. I encourage every State Defense Force medical component to develop specialized training and requirements above these baselines to meet your state’s specific operational needs.

Thank you for your service and for carrying the banner of excellence in disaster medical support.

Brigadier General David Cohen Texas State Guard (Retired) Commandant, Medical