Defend the Guard! …now more than ever

"Defend the Guard" is proposed State-level legislation prohibiting overseas deployment of National Guardsmen to combat operations without formal congressional declaration of war. Authority to declare war is specifically assigned to Congress according to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution. Since unconstitutional creation of the National Guard (further decaying State sovereignty) the federal government has wrongfully mobilized National Guard personnel without war declarations. Former Rep. Ron Paul [R-TX] warned for decades undeclared wars became reoccurring 'no-win' military actions from the moment of failing to follow the constitutional process of declaring them - i.e., once we stopped declaring ‘em we stopped winning ‘em...

Illegal use of Guardsmen aids and abets the ability/means to further engage in undeclared wars. The two ways Congress [federal government] is authorized to mobilize the National Guard are as follows. First, under Title 10; which allows federalized National Guard troop use for training, to enforce federal authority and for homeland defense - seems we can play ‘name-games’ for Secretary of Defense/War Pete Hegseth, but don’t have the spine to actually declare war anymore. Second, there’s Title 32; which keeps Guardsmen under the control of their governor but allows use for humanitarian assistance during declared disasters and again stressed for homeland defense. Readers may recall past columns on the designed use of militia to repel invasion. Some saw the Governor of Texas’ missed opportunity to deploy militia/guardsmen when the President went on record with ‘invasion’ nomenclature… the Constitution is rarely included in politburo members’ decision calculus these past several score.

Neither provision authorizes mobilization of a State's National Guard for overseas combat operations. Since the launch of the Global War on Terror in 2001 (as if we’ve not had enough ‘war on abstractions’ in my life - e.g., war on cancer, war on drugs, war on illiteracy, war on poverty, etc.) it is revealing nearly half of all personnel deployed to the undeclared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were National Guardsmen. Moscow on the Potomac has become very comfortable engaging in long military engagements without proper Constitutional adherence. Sadder still, don’t expect over-degreed/under-educated comrades like Biden, Blinken, Trump, Miller, Navarro, Hassett, Bessent, et al to realize Letters of Marque and Reprisal were designed to address goals of this sort much more cheaply the $1 Billion/day ‘war porn’ for White House ‘Reality TV’ show efforts. Of course, letters of this sort may not be as effective ‘weapons of mass-distraction’ perfected by previous soviet presidents.

The National Guard motto is "Always Ready, Always There." But they’re increasingly less ready/there when wrongfully deployed overseas, unavailable to assist/defend their people at home. Not "Always Ready, Always There" was illustrated when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi hard when roughly 35 to 40 percent of their home-State’s National Guard was deployed in Iraq. Personnel and essential equipment - e.g., trucks, helicopters, etc. needed for relief were improperly allocated thousands of miles away while their own people at home needed humanitarian assistance. Less "Always Ready, Always There" for Alabama tornadoes

and hurricanes is similarly easy to imagine if our troops and equipment are being used illegally overseas instead of being available for the people of our State. Sadly, our government killed Alabama’s State Defense Force which was available to address shortfalls resulting from this sort of Guardsmen misuse.

The federal government benefiting from this misuse will not change course and press for adherence to the Constitution they (yes, including the Troops) swore to uphold and defend. Congress abdicates their responsibility time and time again by delegating war-making powers to the Executive branch. We see DC bureaucrats repeatedly overreach and neglect the Constitution as addressed in last month’s column on tariff uniformity. Expect politburo members to continue evoking unconstitutional codes and statutes to justify their abominations.

Stipulating the federal government will continue overreaching and violating the Constitution, it is the State(s) responsibility to discipline - now a much more difficult task under our hegemonic union far from when voluntarily joining the compact. Persons of each State must compel the federal government follow the Constitution, and this legislation is one way States may accomplish this noble end affirming "You are not going to use our troops, our blood, and our treasure unless you follow the Constitution to do so," quoting Libertarian Party of Alabama Vice Chair, Patrick Merritt II.

This legislation has growing support around the country. In 2022, it was introduced in over 20 States then increased to over 30 States in 2023 and it reached nearly 40 states in 2024. The trend continued with over 40 States in 2025 last year, hard to forecast similar numbers in 2026 with another ‘euphoric’ moment of initial military conflict. Mr. Merritt noted in some States, the bill may successfully pass one chamber with strong Republican support, only to be stalled on the other side by the opposition, citing an example of Virginia's 2025 House of Delegates passing it unanimously, 99 to zero, with the Senate killing it in committee.

Endorsed by Ron Paul, Rand Paul, and Thomas Massie, it is even in the official Republican Party platform in the States of Georgia, New Hampshire, and Texas. Many in Alabama are in the military or have family and dear friends who serve(d) with five major military installations in the mix. However, Merritt’s efforts to get a sponsor for this legislation have failed after speaking with legislators and the Bring Our Troops Home Foundation championing this legislation nationwide with grassroots efforts. Not a single Alabama legislator has the courage to pre-file this Constitution (re)affirming bill on behalf of our Guardsmen.

Unable to get a sponsor, Merritt has endeavoured to address groups like local Republican Assemblies, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Eagle Forum to spread the word. I pray some organisations will pass resolutions in support of the Defend the Guard Act. When legislators visit those groups or come knocking on your door asking for your vote, your money, or your help getting re-elected… look them in the eye and ask: 'We support Defend the Guard Act; where do you stand?' Mr. Merritt stresses this is an important step in taking our country back. Given recent military action in Iran; timing is indeed critical.

Postscript: please do not contact me w.r.t. Iran if you can only remember back to Carter being pressured into allowing former Shah of Iran into the US. I do not expect big government/modern ‘Biden Buffoon’ Democrats and ‘Trump Chump’ MAGAt’s (yes I know he’s currently ‘donning’ the Red soviet party jersey) to know of Balfour Lines, 1946 Iran Crisis - among the first Cold War stand-offs, the CIA Mosaddegh debacle, etc. Of course better scholars than I (like my well educated Pastor) can take it back to Persian Emperor Cyrus... an integral part of Hebrew history - i.e., return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

THE VIEWS OF SUBMITTED EDITORIALS MAY NOT BE THE EXPRESS VIEWS OF THE ALABAMA GAZETTE.