New Mexico State Defense Force

The New Mexico State Defense Force (NMSDF), formerly known as the New Mexico State Guard (NMSG), is the state defense force of the state of New Mexico. The NMSDF is an all-volunteer, reserve military force which works in parallel to the state's National Guard. It is authorized by Title 32, Section 109, United States Code, NGB Reg. 10-4, Chapter 20, NMSA, 1978 Comp., the U.S. Constitution, and the New Mexico State Constitution. It is one of three military divisions of the Department of Military Affairs of the State of New Mexico ("DMA"). The other two military divisions are the New Mexico Army National Guard and the New Mexico Air National Guard. The Department is headed by the Adjutant General of the State of New Mexico, who holds the rank of Brigadier General, a Deputy Adjutant General, and three Assistant Adjutants General. The NMSG falls under the direct supervision of the assistant adjutant general of New Mexico for state guard affairs. The Governor of the State of New Mexico is the Commander-In-Chief of the NMSDF. The State Defense Force is organized as an internal security and emergency services reserve force.

In September 2014, Brigadier General David Torres, commander of the New Mexico State Defense Force, announced a restructuring and modernization plan, which would be followed by an intensified recruiting campaign.

Training
Procedures and training for the New Mexico State Defense Force follow U.S. Army regulations and field manuals. While most of the soldiers in the NMSDF are former members of the Armed Forces of the United States, state guardsmen are not required to have prior federal military experience. The NMSDF now offers its own training in basic military discipline and demeanor, officer knowledge and skills, NCO knowledge and skills, and various operational aspects of assisting the Army National Guard and emergency management agencies with their state duties.

The State Defense Force provides numerous opportunities for limited military training and service for prior-military enlisted and officers who want to continue military service on a voluntary basis, college students who want stateside military service only, and professionals such as physicians, professors, attorneys, and dentists who would like to add military service to their professional portfolios.

The NMSDF requires that all of its personnel become qualified in the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and trains its members to become Military Emergency Management Specialists.

Duties
The New Mexico State Defense Force presently has the mission areas of radio communications, medical, honor guard, chaplaincy, heavy vehicle driving and maintenance, and public affairs. In all of these areas, the State Defense Force has the support of the New Mexico National Guard. While the State Defense Force functions as a reserve unit to the National Guard, it also has its own missions to help community groups and law enforcement agencies in local communities. Despite some degree of autonomy, all present NMSDF missions are approved by the Adjutant General before being put into action. State guardsmen are required to attend mandatory military drill at least one weekend per month, and, can be activated and/or deployed by orders of the Adjutant General of the State of New Mexico, acting on behalf of and in the name of the Commander-In-Chief (the governor of New Mexico). Many members of the NMSDF are prior-military, and many are mid-career professionals like attorneys, business people, engineers, professors, medical technicians, truck drivers, and graphic artists.

The New Mexico State Defense Force maintains a medical unit, the 47th Medical Company (MRC), which is simultaneously recognized as a unit of the Medical Reserve Corps through the Citizen Corps program. The 47th contains both medical and non-medical personnel, who are trained to aid in recovery from natural or man-made disasters by providing medical aid. The 47th has completed both Strategic National Stockpile RSS Training and American Red Cross Shelter Management Training.

In September 2013, specific personnel from the HHD, the 47th Medical Company (MRC), and the Chaplains Corps were activated to several locations to set up and assist in shelter operations and community resource management and provide medical support in a recovery operations deployment following severe flooding.

Pay
Members of the NMSDF do not receive pay for weekend drills. However, the Code of New Mexico authorizes state guardsmen to be paid when activated and/or deployed by the governor in his or her capacity as commander in chief.