U.S. Law: The Militia
How does United States federal law formally define a militia?
The U.S. government has been offering firearms to civilians and organizing marksmanship events with the intent of helping all Americans to become well-regulated in the use of arms. Current federal law and government programs for this are well over a century old. Read official government reports and news on this: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-19-287.pdf
Army Reserve Civilian Marksmanship Program Championship: https://www.usar.army.mil/News/News-Display/Article/1028255/army-reserve-civilian-marksmanship-program-championship/
Current Federal law definition:
10 USC Ch. 12: THE MILITIA
§246. Militia: composition and classes
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title10/subtitleA/part1/chapter12&edition=prelim
§246. Militia: composition and classes
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are—
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.
Current Federal law on arms and marksmanship for civilians:
36 USC Subtitle II, Part B, CHAPTER 407, SUBCHAPTER II:
CIVILIAN MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAM
§40722. Functions
The functions of the Civilian Marksmanship Program are—
(1) to instruct citizens of the United States in marksmanship;
(2) to promote practice and safety in the use of firearms;
(3) to conduct competitions in the use of firearms and to award trophies, prizes, badges, and other insignia to competitors;
(4) to secure and account for firearms, ammunition, and other equipment for which the corporation is responsible;
(5) to issue, loan, or sell firearms, ammunition, repair parts, and other supplies under sections 40731 and 40732 of this title; and
(6) to procure necessary supplies and services to carry out the Program.
"You get your militia arms from the government." That's why the Department of Civilian Marksmanship was created. Part of its mission is to ensure American citizens (the Unorganized Militia) have access to and training with firearms. Many U.S. presidents have participated in these programs.
§40732. Sale of firearms and supplies
(a) Affiliated Organizations.—The corporation may sell, at fair market value, surplus caliber .22 rimfire rifles, caliber .30 surplus rifles, and caliber .45 M1911/M1911A1 surplus pistols, air rifles, caliber .22 and .30 ammunition, repair parts, and other supplies to organizations affiliated with the corporation that provide training in the use of firearms.
(b) Gun Club Members.—(1) The corporation may sell, at fair market value, surplus caliber .22 rimfire rifles, caliber .30 surplus rifles, and caliber .45 M1911/M1911A1 surplus pistols, ammunition, repair parts and other supplies necessary for target practice to a citizen of the United States who is legally of age and who is a member of a gun club affiliated with the corporation.
Training ensures all able-bodied Americans remain well regulated in the use of arms that they possess. Shooting events are key.
§40725. National Matches and small-arms firing school
(a) Annual Competition.—An annual competition called the "National Matches" and consisting of rifle and pistol matches for a national trophy, medals, and other prizes shall be held as prescribed by the Secretary of the Army.
(b) Eligible Participants.—The National Matches are open to members of the Armed Forces, National Guard, Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Citizens' Military Training Camps, Citizens' Air Training Camps, and rifle clubs, and to civilians.
(c) Small-Arms Firing School.—A small-arms firing school shall be held in connection with the National Matches.
(d) Other Competitions.—Competitions for which trophies and medals are provided by the National Rifle Association of America shall be held in connection with the National Matches.
Examples of shooting and instruction with interviews from SAFS
The Department of Civilian Marksmanship started as a U.S. Army-funded program as a part of the Efficiency in Militia Act of 1903 and was put into law under Title 10. The purpose was (and is) to help keep American citizens well regulated in their use of arms, whether assigned to the National Guard (Organized Militia) and those that are not (Unorganized Militia). This led to the creation of the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice. For many decades, public schools maintained the largest number of indoor ranges in the United States as the NBPRP made marksmanship available to students. This was explained in an inaugural report, Report on the Feasibility and Advisability of some Policy to Inaugurate a System of Rifle Practice throughout the Public Schools of the Country.
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/25662/pg25662-images.html
After almost a century of service, this program was transferred under Title 36 and is now the Civilian Marksmanship Program with headquarters at Camp Perry, Ohio, and has been the site of the U.S. National Matches and the Small Arms Firing School since 1907.
https://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/rifle-sales/
The Unorganized Militia can be and has been mobilized into service. While teaching Designated Marksman courses to deploying Soldiers, my unit mobilized DCM/CMP marksmen to assist with Designated Marksman training due to the fact that U.S. Army personnel were incapable of providing adequate instruction and our small team couldn’t do it alone.
Our team was too small to instruct the large groups of deploying Soldiers and we quickly found out that personnel in the mobilization cell were woefully underskilled. As one example, upon repairing the target lifters in the pit on the post’s dilapidated KD range, one of the drill sergeants assigned there paid us a visit.
While observing our shooters during a string of slow fire with targets being pulled and marked, he asked “What makes the targets go up and down?” And then he freaked out when we told him. He had never shot a firearm on anything other than a 25-meter or “pop up” qual range, had no concept of ballistics or wind effects (“Isn’t a bullet moving too fast to be moved by the wind?”)… and is typical of many military personnel.
In contrast, the DCM/CMP shooters we recruited were Distinguished Riflemen with Master and High Master classifications in High Power. We were very happy to have trained members of the Unorganized Militia to help during our mobilization training efforts.
I've caught a lot of grief from "militia" types when I explain that "the militia" is organized through the government, not just a bunch of wannabee bubbas playing army on the weekend at Jerry's peanut farm on the weekends. A few states actually have active militias already. Texas, Oregon are a couple that I know of. I wish every state had at least a vetted skeleton organization for a self-defense force so a legit militia could be spun up in an emergency. Back when Oath Keepers was legit, they had a good plan of local groups to support the Sheriiff, National Guard etc during emergencies but they devolved into... something else...
We all should be worried that the Army is unable to properly train its soldiers in the most important skill a soldier must have.