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.
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- Sponsor and promote federal and state legislation in support of state military forces.
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- Facilitate cooperation between state defense forces, the Department of Defense, the National Guard Bureau, and
active/reserve federal forces.
- Facilitate cooperation between state defense forces, the Department of Defense, the National Guard Bureau, and
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- Establish and promote uniformed and professional state defense force standards.
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- Facilitate and promote the exchange of best practices between state defense forces.
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- Educate public officials and communities of the benefits of establishing and maintaining state defense forces.
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- 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.
- Educate public officials and communities that state defense forces established by state governments under
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- 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. Stein, “State Defense Forces: The Missing Link in National Security” (1984)
2026 Officers
| Executive Committee | |
| President | BG (MD) Gregory Juday |
| President-Elect | COL (WA) Joseph P. Maassen |
| Vice President | BG (LA) Larry Benton |
| Secretary | COL (TN) Tom Smith |
| Treasurer | LTC (WA) Peter Lukevich |
| At-Large Members | BG (CA) Andy Coulombe |
| BG (AK) Simon Brown | |
| CSM(OH) Doug Gresham | |
| Past Presidents | COL(CA) Timothy Ingram, LTC(NY, R) Barry Greene, BG(NY, R) David Warager, MG(CA, R) Jay Coggan, LTC (OH) Roger Patrick |
| Executive Director (non-voting) | Barbara Magro |
| Senior Enlisted Advisor | CSM Cliff Rittenhouse |
| Board Members | |
| Alaska | BG(AK) Simon Brown |
| California | BG(CA) Andre Coulombe |
| Georgia | COL (GA) Dennis Watts |
| Indiana | LTC(IN) Bob Fiers |
| Louisiana | BG(LA) Larry Benton |
| Maryland | BG(MD) Greg Juday |
| Michigan | COL(MI) William Ewald |
| Mississippi | BG(MS) John Carter |
| New York | vacant |
| Ohio | CSM(OH) Doug Gresham |
| Puerto Rico | BG(PR) Ricardo Falcon |
| South Carolina | BG(SC) Leon L. Lott |
| Tennessee | LTC(TN) Steven Estes |
| Texas | BG(TX) Anthony Woods |
| Virginia | BG(VA) Richard Diddams |
| Washington | COL(WA) Joseph P. Maassen |
| SGAUS Chaplain | CPT (OH) Todd Smith |
| SGAUS Surgeon | BG (TX) David Cohen |
| SGAUS Foundation | BG (MS, R) Doug Hayhurst, Chair |
| BG(NY, R) David Warager | |
| COL (TN) Tom Smith, Secretary/Treasurer |