Michigan Defense Force: State's Secret Military

If you ever have a fear of Michigan being invaded by one of its neighbors, say, Indiana. Fear not, you have the military might of a nearly unknown state military force to defend you.

We're not talking about the National Guard. Those organizations which are state-by-state are overseen, an can be called up by, the federal army or air force.

Understanding State Defense Forces: Beyond the National Guard

Rather the state of Michigan has the power to maintain its own military separate from the National Guard under an absolutely obscure piece of federal law (32 US Code § 109).

The state's governor is the commander in chief of this military unit.

In Michigan, this unit is known as the Michigan Defense Force. The military unit dates back to 1917 when the Michigan State Troops were first mustered.

The mission of the Defense Force is to

to provide ready and able military forces to assist state and local authorities in times of state emergencies and to augment the Michigan Army National Guard and Michigan Air National Guard as required

The force has about 100 members and it is one of only 19 active state defense forces.

It's worth noting the Michigan Defense Force is very different than the Michigan Militia which is a paramilitary organization dating back to the 1990s.

👇🏼BELOW: Michigan Cities Printed Their Own Money During the Great Depression - This is What It Looked Like👇🏼

There is also a currently inactive Michigan Naval Militia was first formed in 1893. It could be reactivated at any time by the state legislature. The Michigan Naval Militia is one of 18 inactive state naval units while there are 5 active ones with the only active ones on the Great Lakes being in Ohio.

Here's what the Defense Force looks like in action from a 2015 missing persons search.

Michigan Cities Printed Their Own Money During the Great Depression - This is What It Looked Like

What happens if people began to lose faith in the value of money? When this happened during the Great Depression, many cities turned to printing their own currency notes or scrip. Here's what some of these notes looked like from cities across Michigan.

Can Michigan Residents Access the State's Public University Libraries? The Answer is Quite Complicated

Public libraries are generally founded on the premise they are free and open to all. After all, it's in the Michigan Constitution that all state residents have access to a local library. But what about the state's public universities? Access to these institution by residents of Michigan varies greatly.

Here's a look at the borrowing policies of every public university library in Michigan.

Gallery Credit: Eric Meier

Filed Under: Eric Evergreen