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PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – State defense forces can fill a homeland gap. A recent executive order from the White House, “Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness,” calls on state and local agencies to take greater responsibility in building resilience to cyber threats, natural disasters, and other emerging hazards.
This emphasis on “local forces for local missions” is timely—and essential. Yet, as DOD considers cutting 90,000 active-duty Army soldiers, with an inevitable workload increase for the National Guard, a critical question arises: who will fill the gap?
One answer has been hiding in plain sight: Title 32 State Defense Forces, or SDFs. With just a few changes, these volunteer military units can do much more to help with Army and Guard missions.
SDFs are military units authorized under federal law but organized, trained, and led by individual states. Unlike the National Guard, they cannot be federalized, but like the National Guard they are force multipliers, particularly in times of crisis.
They are often composed of former active-duty service members, seasoned professionals with deep expertise in military operations, as well as experienced civilian professionals.
Even better, they operate at a fraction of the cost of National Guard or active-duty forces.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
NATO’s top military officer said he has no indication yet that the US will withdraw forces committed to the alliance’s defense plans and shift them to the Indo-Pacific.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Full production of a new polar security cutter heavy icebreaker for the Coast Guard recently approved by the DHS, is part of effort to boost shipbuilding and maritime security in the Arctic.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
Defense Secretary Hegseth has barred the military service academies from considering race, gender or ethnicity in their admissions processes, ending the illegal and discriminatory practice of affirmative action.
DOD has ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review all of their library books that address diversity, ‘anti-racism’ or gender issues by May 21.
About half of US adults approve of how Trump is handling ‘transgender’ issues, according to a new poll — a relative high point.
Trump attacked Democrat lawmakers for criticizing his upcoming receipt of a luxury Boeing jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One, calling them ‘World Class Losers!!!’
Air Force is in talks with Boeing to modify requirements for its new VC-25B presidential aircraft in a push to get them into service by 2027.
President Trump ordered the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center campus to become a “National Center for Warrior Independence” and house thousands of homeless veterans.
State Department aims to cut some 3,400 employees beginning in early June, substantially more than expected.
Army Secretary hasn’t masked his desire to shake up the defense sector but this week called it a “success” if a large prime contractor closes its doors in the coming years if they can’t start operating more efficiently.
US POWER OVERSEAS
Kadena AFB sends ‘message you can’t ignore’ with huge elephant walk of all the firepower it has on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force.
82nd Airborne paratroopers bring ‘any mission’ capabilities to Europe as large combat drills stretching from Nordic lands to NATO’s eastern flank are getting underway.
173rd Airborne, the Army’s rapid response unit in Europe, opened its own drone lab to quickly build out its own arsenal of small, agile first-person view (FPV) drones.
Army task force that brought six High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to the recently concluded Balikatan exercise has maintained a presence in the Philippines since 2022.
A fourth squadron of F-35B Lightning IIs arrived in Japan over the weekend to begin a six-month deployment, as the Marine Corps continues to modernize its aircraft in the Indo-Pacific.
CHINA THREAT
The largely intact rear section of a PL-15E radar-guided air-to-air missile, one of China’s most modern, came down in India during a battle in the skies with Pakistan earlier this week. Recovery of any parts of these missiles could be of great interest to India, and its partners.
China and the US have agreed a 90-day pause to the deepening trade war that has threatened to upend the global economy, with reciprocal tariffs to be lowered by 115%.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Russia launched more than 100 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine in nighttime attacks, after the Kremlin rejected an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in the more than 3-year war.
British Army Apache helicopters have conducted live fire exercises in Finland as part of Exercise Mighty Arrow 25.
IRAN THREAT/MIDEAST
Trump announced Sunday that Edan Alexander, the final US living hostage in Gaza, is set to be released by Hamas.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
North Korean leader calls his decision to send troops and weapons to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is part of a “sacred mission” to counter US influence around the world.
INDIA-PAKISTAN WAR
India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire following US-led talks to end the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades.
The Indian Navy massed naval forces in the Northern Arabian Sea and sent a carrier battle group, surface combatants, submarines and naval aviation to keep their Pakistani adversaries in a “defensive position.”
SPACE THREAT
Space Force sharpens focus on warfighting. U.S. military leaders are speaking more openly than ever about fighting in space — not just defending it.
In a reversal, White House plans to retain the National Space Council, a move that could serve as an advocate for space amid pressures to cut budgets.
Soviet-era spacecraft plunges to Earth after 53 years stuck in orbit, more than a half-century after its failed launch to Venus.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
‘Wrongfully detained’: Air Force veteran, Navy SEAL are among group of Americans unlawfully held in Venezuelan prisons.
Kurdish Marxist terror group PKK whose insurgency against Turkey has spanned more than four decades has declared it will disarm and disband, after a call from its jailed leader earlier this year.
US MILITARY
As the Army prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, it appears poised for major changes, bolder than the Marine Corps Force Design effort. As with the Marine’s effort, the Army is almost certain to see dissent from those who may lose from the changes.
DOD is overhauling its special operations doctrine to sharpen key skills and align with the White House’s Indo-Pacific focus.
US Special Ops gets first five 0A-1K Skyraider II highly configurable close-support prop planes for bespoke special missions.
Army has incorporated special operations requirements into the design of its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotor, leading to unspecified weight increase. This, to make it cheaper and easier to convert base FLRAAs into special ops versions for Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).
Army officially deactivated its only active-duty information operations command.
Time to fix Navy’s frigate problem. Most recent reports on the construction of the first Constellation-class frigate are grim and filled with unwelcome news.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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Keep up the great work President Trump and Pete Hegseth!
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