Tennessee State Guard | |
---|---|
Active | 1915 – 1917 1941 – 1947 1985 – present |
Country | United States |
Allegiance | Tennessee |
Type | State Military |
Role | Military reserve force |
Size | ~500[1] |
Part of | Tennessee Military Department |
Garrison/HQ | Nashville, TN |
Nickname(s) | TNSG |
Website | TNSG Official Website |
Commanders | |
Commander-in-Chief | Governor Bill Lee |
Adjutant General | Major General Warner A. Ross II[2] |
Commanding General | Brigadier General Kevin Stewart[3] |
Command Sergeant Major | Command Sergeant Major Heath Young[4] |
The Tennessee State Guard (TNSG) is the state defense force of the state of Tennessee. The TNSG is organized as a military reserve force whose members drill once per month unless called to active duty. The TNSG is a branch of the Tennessee Military Department, alongside the Tennessee Army National Guard, the Tennessee Air National Guard, and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. The State Guard acts as a force multiplier for the state's National Guard. As a state defense force, the Tennessee State Guard cannot be federalized, and is not deployed outside the borders of Tennessee, as it is a purely state-level unit. It answers solely to the Governor of Tennessee, unlike the dual federal and state controlled National Guard. The creation of a state military force is recognized under Tennessee Code Annotated 58-1-401.[5]