Standing before a backdrop featuring a huge U.S. flag and a line of Florida National Guard troops in at-ease pose, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that he wants to revive a state guard he can run without interference from the federal government.
State law drafted during World War II already authorizes this Florida State Guard — it was created to replace Florida National Guard troops called up by the federal government to fight abroad but disbanded after the war ended.
All that’s needed is $3.5 million that DeSantis said he’ll ask the state Legislature to approve during its regular session, which convenes in January.
The governor, who held hands with his son Mason at the event, described what he has in mind as a “civilian volunteer force that will have the ability to assist the National Guard in state-specific emergencies.”
The state, he said, needs to “be able to use support in ways that are not encumbered by the federal government or don’t require the federal government.”
The proposal was fully in keeping with DeSantis’ ongoing sparring with President Joe Biden over border policies, the response to Covid, even a suggestion that the FBI investigate threats of violence to school board members trying to enforce mandatory masking by schoolchildren.
DeSantis again attacked Biden’s efforts to mandate vaccines in the workplace, adding criticism of a recent Biden administration proposal to require Covid testing for passengers returning to the United States from abroad in light of the omicron variant, plus other mitigation strategies.
“We’re going to look to see … if the state of Florida can potentially do something to seek some relief on this,” the governor said.
“He [Biden] basically sold the public a bill of goods, said that he would shut it [Covid] down. He’s not shutting it down. So, what they’re doing now, I think, it’s not going to have any impact on mitigating Covid. It’s more theater.”
The Florida State Guard already has a logo, featured during the governor’s news conference, displaying an alligator with its jaws agape and the words: “Let us alone.”
The image is strikingly similar to signs DeSantis aides distributed during a rally-style October news conference in which he announced plans for a special session of the Legislature to oppose the Biden administration’s mask and vaccine mandates. These also featured a gator and the words: “Don’t Tread on Florida.”
Press secretary Christina Pushaw explained via email that the “Let us alone” motto embellished a flag that flew over the inauguration of Florida’s first governor, William Dunn Moseley, in 1845. According to the Florida Historical Society, however, the Legislature never formally adopted that flag because the Senate objected to inclusion of the motto.
DeSantis said the unit would comprise up to 200 members who will respond to hurricanes and other state emergencies.
More than 25,000 Florida Guard members have served abroad since Sept. 11, 2001, including more than 1,500 serving in war zones right now and on the U.S.-Mexico border, said Maj. Gen. James Eifert, the Guard’s commander.
The federal government helps pay for the National Guard and is allowed to call upon it to meet national emergencies, including wars.
“We want to be able to have a quick response capability — and reestablishing the Florida State Guard will allow civilians from all over the state to be trained in the best emergency-response techniques and have the ability to mobilize very, very quickly,” DeSantis said.
He noted that Florida’s National Guard is small for a state of our size — about 12,000 members covering 65,758 square miles and a population of 22 million people. That’s the second-smallest in the country, according to USA Today Network-Florida report about bipartisan efforts to persuade Congress to boost its strength.
DeSantis said his total ask from the Legislature for the next fiscal year for the National Guard will amount to $100 million, including $87.5 million to expand a readiness center in Miramar and construct three new armories to accommodate 1,500 personnel.
He wants money for what he called a “counter-drug” program to fill “an unfortunate void left by the Biden administration’s open-border agenda.”
The plan includes financial support for Guard members seeking higher education and for scholarships for children and spouses of deceased and disabled veterans.
–Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix
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David Schaefer says
DeathSantis what a waste of time and money. Please vote him out…
Michael Cocchiola says
Floriduh’s Brown Shirts.
JLS says
This scares the crap out of me. Anyone who thinks he wouldn’t use this as his own personal police force to shut down anything or anyone he didn’t like is kidding themselves. This man is dangerous.
Johathan says
DeathSantis want to be mini Trump Dictator rides again.
Eugene Hartke says
DeSantis’s Brown Shirts?
beachlover says
We have the best Governor ever! No wonder we have the most migration out the blue states…
Dennis C Rathsam says
All U tree huggin democrats,can rant all they want. Gov Ron,s doing a swell job. What are you all afraid of ???? THE TRUTH. And besides the democrats list of opponents is embarassing….Charlie Crist is the best you can do…..Can ya,ll say LANDSLIDE!!!!!
dan beasley says
why would you vote out the best governor this state has ever elected. Hopefully he will become the President of this United States. The pansy ass we have now sure needs replacing.
Jimbo99 says
This might’ve made sense, but the fact that DeSantis & FL actually are the biggest proponents of staying open throughout the pandemic from March 2020 to present. About the only thing I see DeSantis using a “Goon Squad” as it’s being portrayed as would be to keep the economy going, you know, preserving anyone’s right to life liberty & pursuit of happiness. Allowing people to earn a living & raise their families. That’s what America is about conceptually. Not allowing Biden-Harris dictate what you can & can’t have when they themselves aren’t willing to go without.
If DeSantis having a state force to keep the peace during riots & loots, is that really a bad thing ?
flatsflyer says
Let him be, maybe if he creates a force, it might just turn on him and end his reign of terror, neglect and crimes.
Hooray says
Best idea i’ve heard all year. That way we don’t have to reley on the Democratic Government in emergencies.
I LOVE this Governor !!!!
Rich Santomassino says
So Beachlover, he is the best governor ever?
I guess by trying his damndest to increase the number of Covid deaths in the state? I guess by supporting the WORST (voted by Historians- not people like yourself) president in our country’s history? I guess by attempting to create his own army of Brown shirts to enforce his agenda? I guess by having some of the worst approval ratings of a Florida governor ever?
If that is the criteria- then yes, you are correct!
tulip says
To the people who Love DeSantis as Governor–They also all loved Trump and got radicalized along the way. Look where our country is now because of Terrorizing Bully Trump. Pretty soon it won’t matter who you vote for because Trump and his regime are stripping out election workers from top to bottom and replacing them with his loyalist people in order to turn the election his way. Just one more freedom we will lose, which is the confidence and safety to have honest elections. There is always a handful of people who commit voter fraud, but it generally gets caught and doesn’t change the status who won. We are all being “set up” and by the time people don’t seem to care. If Trump hadn’t won in 2016, we would not be in this mess.
2037942641 says
He not only wants his own private army he wants the federal government{ YOU and ME }to fund it ! He is just another Adolph, Seriously ???????
Tony Mack says
I’d be willing to bet that IF a Democratic Governor attempted to form his own Special Forces, some folks would be screaming “They’re coming for our guns,” and “They want to take away our Freedoms”, and “They’re nothing but a bunch or Socialists, Communists, Fascists, Marxists…”
Ray W. says
Hello Tony Mack. You hit the nail on the head. Years ago, a so-called conservative friend forwarded an e-mail he had received from another like-minded so-called conservative. I have commented about this before. The subject-matter of the e-mail was an allegation that 10 billion bullets were being purchased by the government for use by a civilian army being created by President Obama to take away people’s guns. The e-mail contained a link to a recording attributed to President Obama, who allegedly stated during a 2008 campaign speech in the Midwest that he wanted to create the civilian army. The recording was of poor quality, but it sounded like President Obama. After I looked up the actual proposal for bid, I learned that Homeland Security had actually issued a proposal for bid to 3 billion bullets to be supplied over 10 years. I replied to my friend in the same way that I always replied: My friend needed to stop relying on people who were exaggerating and twisting facts.
Imagine my surprise at reading in FlaglerLive that Governor DeSantis is trying to create a civilian militia to be deployed whenever he perceives a crisis. I await the executive order detailing the limits on his powers to perceive a crisis.
Whathehck? says
He is the greatest governor in the world. Was he successful in lowering the drug prices in Florida. “The state announced that no company had bid on a proposed $30 million contract to act as middleman in procuring Canadian drugs”. The Canadian Health Minister denied the Trump/Desantis proposal because it would deplete Canada of drugs to treat their own citizens. Still waiting for Piccolo to respond on that wonderful proposal. Oops! It didn’t work for the great man.
I will give him two positives, the Everglades Restoration Project and securing $2.5 million for security funding for Jewish Day Schools to ensure students and staff are safe throughout the state. Gee! He showed his liberal side on that one the traitor.
Realist says
You are absolutely correct. I admire this guy so. GREAT GOVERNOR