13TH BATTALION
BLACK HORSE BRIGADE
VIRGINIA DEFENSE FORCE
13th Battalion News
Charlie Company-Good To Go!
By Bryan McKenzie
Published: November 25, 2010
The Virginia Defense Force may lack the weapons, equipment and pay of a Virginia National Guard unit, but there’s no denying the volunteers’ desire to serve. Members of the Charlottesville-based Charlie Company of the force’s 13th Battalion of the “Blackhorse” brigade are the state’s backup force to the National Guard. When the Guard is called up, the Blackhorse brigade is ready to ride in to take over whatever duties need to be filled, from communications and logistics to emergency response and management. They’re also available to do the basic tasks that allow more guardsmen to put boots on the ground. But where the Guard gets federal equipment and training, the state force is pretty much on its own. The agency drills once each month, but not with weapons. It focuses on crowd control, traffic control and security checkpoints, communications and administrative duties. The defense force is truly a local-level organization. They take their talents, augment them with training in emergency management and community emergency response, as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency courses, and apply them when possible. "Everybody has a talent or a specialty and we try to utilize members based on what they can do,” said 1st. Lt. Randy Brooks, company commander for Charlie Company. “If someone has experience with computers or communications or is an emergency medical technician, we try to put those abilities and that knowledge to work.”
A well-regulated militia, according to the
Constitution, is necessary to the security
of a free state. Federal law defines the
militia as “all able-bodied males at least
17 years of age and … under 64 years of
age” who are, or plan to become, U.S.
citizens. The militia also includes women
who are members of the National Guard.
Federal law further divides the militia into
unorganized — those not serving in any
military capacity — and organized,
including the National Guard and
state-approved defense forces.
The last time the unorganized militia was called to active duty was by the Confederate States of America when the now-defunct government activated the “home guard.” The state militias served in World War I and World War II when the federal government called on the state National Guards to fight in the wars.
Still, prior to 1973, the Virginia National Guard was pretty much a state-controlled, organized militia. It acted as an arm of law enforcement, security and relief when faced with flood, disaster and lawlessness within the state, except in times of dire national emergency. That role changed when the federal military became all volunteer and federal rules were rewritten to include the Guard under federal purview. Federal laws later were passed to give the states the right to form their own military forces: Enter the Virginia Defense Force. “The National Guard is considered the state’s defense force, but when the Guard is activated, our job is to be there to assure the state still has a defense force available,” Brooks said. “We’re a force-multiplier and get called up to work with the Guard in any capacity we can to help them in their mission in a state emergency.” Statewide, the force includes four brigades, including three general-purpose brigades with members cross-trained in communications and other emergency responses. The force also has a fixed-wing aviation battalion with members supplying their own airplanes, a military police battalion, a medical battalion, a riverine battalion for patrolling the state’s rivers and a training battalion. “The National Guard has a national focus and the defense force is state-focused,” said Col. Michael Lawson, of Troy. “If [smaller jurisdictions] had to deal with a major snowstorm or wildfire in the Blue Ridge, they could request our services from the governor and we would go in and help in whatever capacity needed, from communications at the emergency operations center to additional emergency medical personnel. Whatever they need.” “We are strictly here for the state. We can’t be called up and sent overseas. Our function is strictly in the commonwealth, much like the National Guard used to be,” Brooks said. “We do a lot of community support at events like the Greene County Fair, where we’ll set up in the field, provide traffic control and security.” They also recruit. “That’s where they found me,” laughed Sgt. Milton Chen, Charlie Company’s Operations NCO. “My company, Line-X, had a booth at the Greene County Fair and we kept talking about it. I didn’t think I really had the time to commit to it because of running my business, but with a little bit of prodding I decided to give it a shot.” Chen, 45, has embraced the defense force role. Like many members, he has augmented the company’s mission with personally purchased gear. He even purchased a used Hummer — the civilian version of a military high-mobility, multipurpose-wheeled vehicle, a HMMWV in military parlance and a Humvee in soldier slang — for personal use and for use with the agency, should the need arise. The company drills once a month, much like the National Guard. Their uniforms are classic “BDU,” the uniform formerly worn by the military prior to Iraq and Afghanistan. For Chen, who has no prior military service, serving in the defense force is meeting a social commitment. “I’ve always had the thought in my mind that serving in the military was a good thing,” Chen said. “When I realized I did have the time and this was one way to serve, I decided to do it. The commitment is whatever time you can put into it and what you can do for as long as you want to,” Chen said. “If something happens and you can’t participate regularly, you can submit a letter of resignation.” For Brooks, who previously served, it’s a response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “People were looking for a way to serve after 9/11 and, with age creeping up and bad knees, it pretty much prevented me from going back in [the active military],” he said. “This is a way to serve the community, the commonwealth and the country. I’ve never regretted joining and now my son is also serving. It’s the kind of thing that appeals to a lot of families and we have a lot of members sharing last names. We like it that way.” “It’s kind of a big family, but there’s always room for more,” Chen laughed.
New VDF recruits arrive for training
SSG Milton Chen, Company C, 13th Battalion, Black Horse Brigade, of the Virginia Defense Force presents a Certificate of Appreciation to Lynn Graves of Graves Mountain Lodge for their continued support of Company C. Graves Mountain Lodge provides their facilities to Company C for use in training for state disaster response capabilities.
Virginia Defense Force selects 2011 NCO of the Year
By Capt. David Cahan
Virginia Defense Force Blackhorse Brigade
MANASSAS, Va. — The Virginia Defense Force has selected Staff Sgt. Milton Chen of Charlottesville as the 2011 Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. In a ceremony held Dec. 17, 2011, Maj. Gen. John Taylor, commander of the VDF, honored Chen and presented him with the award that recognizes outstanding duty performance, knowledge of mission, civic involvement, volunteer hours and completion of various skill-based schools.
Competitors from all over the commonwealth must be nominated by their unit command and compete at the battalion and brigade level before appearing at a Division NCO Board in Richmond.
Chen serves as 1st Sergeant for
Charlottesville-based Company C,
33rd Battalion. He is qualified in
several of the nine response packages
offered by the VDF including Incident
Management Assistance Teams and
Shelter Assistance Liaison Teams. He
is also Military Emergency Management
Specialist qualified.
Chen credits his experience in the VDF
with honing his leadership and training
skills which he puts to use as a Line-X
franchise owner. “My experience in
dealing with people as a business owner
has helped me greatly in my leadership role
in the State Guard and the converse is true as well,” Chen said. “I’m a much better teacher, listener and leader in my business and in the community because of my VDF experience.”
Chen has served in the Defense Force since 2008.
The VDF is an all-volunteer force authorized by the Code of Virginia and organized under the Virginia Department of Military Affairs reporting to the Adjutant General of Virginia. In 2010, the VDF provided approximately 58,850 man hours in service to the commonwealth. Using the Virginia average of $21.45 per hour of volunteer work, this equates to $1,262,332 in support.
The Blackhorse Brigade, which controls all VDF units in the northern third of the state, deployed four IMAT teams during Hurricane Irene. In addition to SALT and IMAT, the VDF offers other response packages to the Virginia Department of Military Affairs including Mobile Communications Platform, Civil Disturbance Force and Fixed Wing Aviation.
Thanks to Graves Mountain Lodge
VIRGINIA NATIONAL GUARD PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
NEWS RELEASE ~ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ~ Feb. 6, 2012
For more info: Mr. Cotton Puryear at cotton.puryear@us.army.mil or 804-539-1451
Charlottesville resident recognized for outstanding volunteer service in Virginia Defense Force
Command Sergeant Maj. Dennis Green, Virginia National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader,
recognizes Staff Sgt. Milton
Chen of Charlottesville Feb. 4
for his outstanding service in
the Virginia Defense Force
during the all-volunteer
organization's Commander's
Conference at Fort Pickett.
Chen was selected as the VDF NCO of the Year for 2011.
