[Challenger]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

Excellent question! That law was written to prohibit paramilitary training in Florida during the period that Cuban revolutionary groups were forming in Florida to prepare for paramilitary actions against the Castro regime.

It has nothing to do with either the official Organized Militia (primarily the branches of the Florida National Guard) or the official Unorganized Militia, which does not meet or train as a group.

Please understand, every able bodied citizen of Florida who is subject to military service is, in general, a member of the unorganized Florida Militia and is subject to conscription into active service at the direction of the governor. Remember also that the Selective Service (Draft) Law is still in effect; they are simply not drafting people into the military at present. Read the law again.

(1) The militia consists of all able-bodied citizens of this state and all other able-bodied persons who have declared their intention to become citizens.
(2) The organized militia is composed of the National Guard and any other organized military forces that are authorized by law.
(3) The unorganized militia is composed of all persons who are subject to military duty but who are not members of units of the organized militia.
(4) Only persons exempt from military duty by the terms of federal law are exempt from military duty in this state.

It is probable that virtually no one in The Villages meets the criteria to be in the Unorganized Militia due to age, physical infirmity or prior military experience.

It is not something that you "join." If you meet the criteria in the law, you are in the Unorganized Militia. Groups who band together and call themselves militia groups are not the Unorganized Florida Militia. Such groups also are in violation of the Florida law previously cited if they conduct paramilitary training.

As to the purpose of my original post; as I indicated it was a follow-up to a closed thread regarding the Second Amendment in which it was apparent that many people do not understand the concept of the modern militia.

I didn't realize that it would be so difficult to understand my purpose.

Many States have organized militias that are not the National Guard. Maryland had the State Guard . I was a Colonel(06) in the Maryland National Guard and served as the senior military advisor to the State Guard (1988-1989) I attended a national conference of State Guard units in El Paso in 1989 and about 15 states had their State Guard reps present. This units were strictly organized as state units with no Federal recognition. I have not kept abreast of the movement and don't know if these groups still exist.