Arkansas State Guard

The Arkansas State Guard
Arkansas State Guard Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Active	1942–1945
Country	United States
Allegiance	Arkansas
Branch	Army
Type	State defense force
Role	Military reserve force
Size	1,500 (approximately)
Part of	Arkansas Military Department
Garrison/HQ	Little Rock, AR
Commanders
Civilian leadership	Governor Homer Martin Adkins, later Governor Benjamin Travis Laney (Governor of the State of Arkansas)
Commander of the Arkansas State Guard	Colonel Hendrix Lackey (Commanding Colonel, Arkansas State Guard)

The Arkansas State Guard was the official state defense force of the state of Arkansas during World War II. The Arkansas State Guard was created to fulfill the state missions of the Arkansas National Guard while the National Guard was deployed abroad during World War II. As a military unit trained and funded solely by the state, it was immune to federal activation and deployment, unlike the National Guard. As a part of the official militia of the state of Arkansas, it traces its roots back to the militias which fell under state authority prior to the Militia Act of 1903. The Arkansas State Guard is currently inactive following deactivation after the end of World War II; however, the legal framework for a state defense force still exists, making future reactivation of the Arkansas State Guard by the Arkansas General Assembly legally permissible.^[1]