
About SGAUS

SGAUS Mission:
Support State Defense Forces
The mission of the State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS) is to advocate for the advancement and support of regulated state military forces established by state governments under the authority of Title 32, Section 109, of the United States Code. These units are typically called state defense forces, state guards, or state military reserves and are regulated by state law and operational guidance provided by the U.S. Army’s National Guard Bureau.
- Sponsor and promote federal and state legislation in support of state military forces.
- Facilitate cooperation between state defense forces, the Department of Defense, the National Guard Bureau, and
active/reserve federal forces. - Establish and promote uniformed and professional state defense force standards.
- Facilitate and promote the exchange of best practices between state defense forces.
- Educate public officials and communities of the benefits of establishing and maintaining state defense forces.
- Educate public officials and communities that state defense forces established by state governments under
the authority of 32 USC 109 are legal and professional military organizations and that they are separate from private militias. - Support state defense force recruitment and retention programs.
References:
History of State Defense Forces: SGAUS Keynote Address by Dr. Barry Stentiford (November 2022)
32 USC 109 – Maintenance of other Troops
National Guard Bureau Regulation 10-4
Department of Defense House Armed Services Committee Report 108-491 (2005)
State Defense Forces and Homeland Security (2004)
George J. Stien, “State Defense Forces: The Missing Link in National Security” (1984)
Leadership Message

SGAUS President
Lieutenant Colonel Roger Patrick, Ohio Military Reserve

SGAUS Command Sergeant Major
Command Sergeant Major John Ball, Ohio Military Reserve
2023 Officers & Committees
Executive Committee | |
President | LTC(OH) Roger Patrick |
President-Elect | COL (CA) Tim Ingram |
Vice President | LTC Barry Greene |
Secretary | COL (TN) Tom Smith |
MAJ (TN) Steve Estes, Ass’t Sec. | |
Treasurer | LTC (IN) Bob Fiers |
At-Large Members | MG (MS) Doug Hayhurst (2020) |
MG (CA) Coggan (2021) | |
BG (NY), Ret. David Warager (2022) | |
Executive Director (non-voting) General Manager (non-voting) | BG(TN) Chago Santiago MAJ (TN) Steve Estes |
Command Sergeant Major | CSM (OH) John Ball |
Board Members | |
Alaska | BG(AK) Simon Brown |
California | COL(CA) Timothy Ingram |
Georgia | COL (GA) Dennis Watts |
Indiana | LTC(IN) Bob Fiers |
Louisiana | BG(LA) Edmund J. Giering III, Ret. |
Maryland | BG(MD) Gregory Juday |
Michigan | COL(MI) William Ewald |
Mississippi | BG(MS) John Carter |
New York | LTC(NY) Barry Greene |
Ohio | LTC(OH) Roger Lee Patrick Jr. |
Puerto Rico | BG(PR) Ricardo Falcon |
South Carolina | BG(SC) Leon L. Lott |
Tennessee | BG(TN) Chago Santiago |
Texas | BG(TX) Anthony Woods |
Virginia | BG(VA) Justin Carlitti |
Washington | COL(WA) Joseph P. Maassen |
SGAUS Chaplain | |
SGAUS Surgeon | |
1. Awards & Decorations | LTC (OH) Roger Lee Patrick Jr., Chair |
2. Bylaws and Resolutions | |
3. Chaplain Academy | CPT (OH) J. Todd Smith |
4. Engineering Academy | COL(MD) Ed Hubner, Chair |
5. Government Relations & | COL Tom Smith |
Federal Affairs | LTC (MD) Anthony Wisniewski, Ass’t Chair |
6. MEMS Academy | SGM(CA) Fred Tredy, Chair |
MAJ Anthony Crawford, Ass’t Chair | |
7. Membership | BG (MS Ret.) Doug Hayhurst |
8. Nominations | BG (MS Ret.) Doug Hayhurst, Chair |
BG(TN) Chago Santiago | |
9. Education Committee & Procedures for Schools | COL (NY Ret.) Jim Hardy |
10. PME | BG (TN) Chago Santiago, PME Academy |
11. Staff Judge Advocate Academy | MAJ (TX) Michael Parker, Co-Chair |
12. Strategic Planning Committee | |
13. PAO/PIO Committee | MAJ (IN) Terry Heifetz |
14. Cyber Academy | LTC (NY) Barry Greene |
15. Medical Academy Committee | LTC (IN) Julian Ungar-Sargon, MD, PhD, Chair |
BG (TX-R) Luis Fernandez, MD, Ass’t Chair | |
16. SGAUS Foundation | BG (MS) Doug Hayhurst, Chair |
COL (TN) Tom Smith, Secretary/Treasurer |