Mississippi State Guard

Mississippi State Guard

File:MississippiStateGuard.gif Mississippi State Guard SSI
Abbreviation	MSSG
Formation	1941
Type	State defense forces, state guards or official militias
Legal status	Active
Purpose	To serve the State of Mississippi in aid with, to or in lieu of the Mississippi National Guard
Headquarters	1410 Riverside Drive Jackson, Mississippi 39296
Location	Mississippi
Membership	200 +/-
Commander-in-Chief	Gov. Phil Bryant
Adjutant General	MG Augustus L. Collins
MSSG Commanding General	David H. McElreath, Brigadier General (MS) MSSG
MSSG State Command Sergeant Major	CSM Johnny Marlow
Parent organization	Mississippi Military Department
Affiliations	Mississippi Army National Guard, Mississippi Air National Guard
Budget	$0.00
Website	http://msstateguard.org

The Mississippi State Guard(MSSG) is the constitutionally authorized state defense force of the State of Mississippi. Operating under the authority of the Mississippi Military Department it is on an equal constitutional basis with the Mississippi Army National Guard, (MSARNG) and the Mississippi Air National Guard (MSANG) by the Mississippi Code of 1972.

The Commanding General of the MSSG is appointed by the Adjutant General and Governor of the State of Mississippi, and reports directly to them. All commissioned officer appointments and or promotions must be approved by the Adjutant General and the Governor of Mississippi.

The MSSG is an all-volunteer organization tasked with supplementing the forces of the MSARNG and/or MSANG upon the order of the Governor and/or Adjutant General of the State of Mississippi. While its primary mission is to assist in coping with man-made or natural disaster, the MSSG trains to be ready to meet any assignment. As a state defense force, it is not subject to any federal authority with regard to assignment and/or control. But as many state militias were activated throughout the Southern states during WW II and became the Dixie Division, it is possible to serve under Title 10.^{[citation needed]}Members of the Mississippi State Guard were called Federal Service during and many were part of the US Army Dixie Division.

The MSSG was initially established as the Home Guard by executive order in 1941, during World War II, after the Mississippi National Guard units were called to federal active duty.

In 1986, when the United States Army adopted the "Total Force Concept" in which the National Guard of all states are trained as, and considered an integral part of, the active duty forces of the United States military (though remaining under state control unless activated to federal service), the MSSG was re-activated and reorganized as a cadre force to augment the state's National Guard forces as necessary in the event of their federal deployment.

The Mississippi State Guard is open to all citizens of Mississippi, male and female, age 17 to 62. All applicants are subject to rigid background checks.

Mississippi State Guard individual ribbons

• File:MSSGDSR.JPG MSSG Distinguished Service Ribbon
• File:MSSGMSR.JPG MSSG Meritorious Service Ribbon
• File:MSSGCR2.JPG MSSG Commendation Ribbon
• File:MSSGAR.JPG MSSG Achievement Ribbon
• File:MSSGAM.JPG MSSG Award of Merit
• File:MSSGLSR.JPG MSSG Longevity Service Ribbon
• File:MSSGODS-ODSSR.JPG MSSG Operation Desert Shield/Storm Service Ribbon
• File:MSSGRR.JPG MSSG Recruitment Ribbon
• File:MSSGTR1.JPG MSSG Training Ribbon
• File:MSSGAMR.JPG MSSG Association Membership Ribbon

Mississippi State Guard unit ribbons

• File:MSSGOUC.JPG MSSG Outstanding Unit Citation

External links

• History Site, State of Mississippi (Archive)