Louisiana Naval Militia

The Louisiana Naval Militia is the currently unorganized naval militia of Louisiana. It was organized as a naval military reserve force, serving as naval parallel to the Louisiana National Guard.

History

By 1898, the Louisiana Naval Militia consisted of 500 men all recruited from New Orleans.^[1] During a yellow fever epidemic in 1905, the Louisiana Naval Militia was activated during a series of quarantines enacted across the region. In one incident, two ships from Mississippi, the Grace and the Tipsy, attempted to cross into Louisiana from a quarantine zone. The Louisiana Naval Militia boarded the ships and arrested the officers and crew.^[2] The naval militia remained stationed on the Mississippi River to guard against possible incursions by Mississippi state troops crossing into Louisiana waters in their attempts to quarantine their own state from Louisiana fishermen; the naval militia remained on active duty until the federal government took over control of managing the quarantine response.^[3]

In 1909, the Louisiana Naval Militia sailed the USS Isla de Luzon on a training cruise.^[4] By 1913, the Louisiana Naval Militia consisted of two battalions of four divisions each, 461 members, and two ships: the USS Stranger and the USS Isla de Luzon.^[5] In 1916, sailors from the Louisiana Naval Militia practiced firing 3-inch and 12-inch guns.^[6]

Personnel

Naval militias are partially regulated and equipped by the federal government, and membership requirements are set according to federal standards. Under 10 U.S. Code § 7854, in order to be eligible for access to "vessels, material, armament, equipment, and other facilities of the Navy and the Marine Corps available to the Navy Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve", at least 95% of members of the naval militia must also be members of the United States Navy Reserve or the United States Marine Corps Reserve.^[7]

Legal status

The naval militia is recognized as a component of the organized militia of the United States under 10 U.S. Code §7851.^[8] Therefore its restart of operations depends on either executive action by the state governor or by act of the state legislature.

See also

• Louisiana State Guard

References

State Defense Forces and Naval Militia
State Defense Forces	Alabama State Defense Force Alaska State Defense Force California State Military Reserve Connecticut Governor's Guard Georgia State Defense Force Indiana Guard Reserve Louisiana State Guard Maryland Defense Force Massachusetts State Defense Force Michigan Volunteer Defense Force Mississippi State Guard Missouri Reserve Force New Mexico State Guard New York Guard Ohio Military Reserve Oregon State Defense Force Puerto Rico State Guard South Carolina State Guard Tennessee State Guard Texas State Guard Vermont State Guard Virginia Defense Force Washington State Guard
Naval Militia	Alaska Naval Militia Connecticut Naval Militia New York Naval Militia Ohio Naval Militia South Carolina Naval Militia Texas State Guard Maritime Regiment
Historical/Defunct	Alaska Territorial Guard Arkansas State Guard Delaware State Guard Florida Naval Militia Florida State Guard Georgia Naval Militia Hawaii Naval Militia Hawaii Territorial Guard Idaho State Guard Illinois Naval Militia Illinois Reserve Militia Indiana Naval Militia Iowa State Guard Kansas State Guard Kentucky Active Militia Louisiana Naval Militia Maine State Guard Maryland Naval Militia Massachusetts Naval Militia Michigan Naval Militia Minnesota Naval Militia Minnesota State Guard Missouri Naval Militia Nebraska State Guard New Hampshire State Guard New Jersey Naval Militia New Jersey State Guard North Carolina Naval Militia North Carolina State Defense Militia Oregon Naval Militia Pennsylvania State Guard Rhode Island Naval Militia Rhode Island State Guard South Dakota State Guard Utah State Defense Force Virginia Defense Force Riverine Detachment Washington Naval Militia Wisconsin Naval Militia Wisconsin State Defense Force