Michigan Volunteer Defense Force

The Michigan Volunteer Defense Force is a military force, duly constituted as a state defense force and an element of Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The MI VDF was reorganized from the former Michigan Emergency Volunteers by Adjutant General Thomas Cutler in 2004 to fill a homeland security role in the State of Michigan. , the MI VDF is commanded by COL William Ewald, a retired United States Army colonel.

Michigan State Troops
Michigan's first state defense force was established as the Michigan State Troops' Home Guard along with the Michigan State Troops Permanent Force in Act No. 53 Public Acts of Michigan on 17 April 1917. The Michigan State Troops organizations served on in-state active duty during World War I, II, and the Korean War.

Michigan Emergency Volunteers
The Michigan State Troops were reconstituted as the Michigan Emergency Volunteers by Public Act 246 of 1988. The original intention for the MEV was to act as a force of trained emergency volunteers in the event that the National Guard was sent out of the state in a national emergency. The MEV was ordered to stand down in October 1998.

Michigan Volunteer Defense Force
On 20 September 2004 MG Thomas G. Cutler the Michigan Adjutant General and COL Michael McDaniel met with the then small interim staff to review and discuss various opportunities for a state defense force to again serve within the state's military establishment. At the conclusion of that meeting Adjutant General Cutler authorized the reactivation of the new Michigan Volunteer Defense Force to undertake involvement in various homeland security concerns and other military support services as assigned.

Current activity
Today the Michigan Volunteer Defense Force is organized as a state-wide brigade composed of seven field battalions located within joint Michigan State Police and Office of Public Health Program districts. Each battalion is being developed to serve and support community needs across the State of Michigan. All seven battalions have these missions:

•Support MI's Receipt, Store and Stage (RSS) of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)

•Support MI with certified Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

•Support the MING with county liaison officers (LNO)

•Support the MING with Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (JRSOI) staffing

•Support the MING with Retirement Services Specialists

•Support the MING & county/local authorities with Search and Rescue/Recovery (SAR)