--- title: "Florida Is Trying to Get Its Own Military, God Help Us All" description: "Florida's very cool and normal governor is proposing a \"civilian military force\" that would be under his control and not the Pentagon's." date: "2021-12-04" modified: "2021-12-04" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/florida-governor-military" categories: - "Future Society" - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "florida" - "politics" - "the digest" --- # Florida Is Trying to Get Its Own Military, God Help Us All ![Florida's very cool and normal governor is proposing a "civilian military force" that would be under his control and not the Pentagon's.]() *\Image: Joe Raedle/Getty Images\* Florida's [very cool and normal governor]() is proposing a "civilian military force" that would be under his control — rather than the Pentagon's. *CNN* [reports that]() Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's Florida State Guard would "not encumbered by the federal government." This wasn't just an off-handed suggestion, either. DeSantis said that he's going to ask the state legislature for $3.5 million to equip and train his militia, which would include 200 volunteer members. The report noted that the governor's announcement came just after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that if National Guard members won't get paid or be able to train unless they get vaccinated. Under US law, the states share control of the National Guard with the Department of Defense, while a civilian militia like the one DeSantis is proposing would exclusively under Florida's command. Given DeSantis' [COVID denialist stance](), it seems highly unlikely that members of a Florida State Guard would be required to get the vaccine. As outlandish and extraordinarily Floridesque as the whole thing sounds, it's not only legal but fairly common for states to have civilian guards that are outside the purview of the US military, *CNN* noted. If Florida actually establishes a civilian force, it will become the 23rd state to enact this archaic 18th century power, and it's not just Republican-controlled states like Texas that have enacted it. Technically, lots of states have at one point had their own civilian forces, but only 22 so far — [including]() New York, Vermont, California, and Washington — have activated theirs. Though these kind of state defense forces legally date back to the establishment of state militias during the 1700s, Florida's version was created during World War II when the state's National Guard members joined the regular military in Europe only to disband following the end of that war. Nevertheless, DeSantis, along with every other governor in the US, has the right to re-activate or establish his own civilian guard. The concept of any governor being legally able to raise their own militia is scary enough, but the fact that it's DeSantis — who once alluded to his Black gubernatorial opponent when urging voters not to "[monkey this up]()" — should probably give us all pause. **More on Florida:** [*Florida Is Releasing Almost a Billion Gene-Hacked Mosquitoes*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()