Naval militias in the United States

Top left: A recruiting poster for the Naval Militia in 1917. Top right: Commander David Tucker, NYNM, instructing subordinates. Bottom left: Members of the New York Naval Militia fill sandbags to aid in the preparations for possible flooding. Bottom right: Ensign S.S. Pierce of the New York Naval Militia stands next to an airplane in the early 20th century.

A naval militia is a reserve military organization administered under the authority of a state government in the United States. It is often composed of federal reservists who are also members of the Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, or the Coast Guard Reserve, in addition to retirees and civilian volunteers. Naval militias are differentiated from the Coast Guard Auxiliary, which is a federally-chartered civilian component of the U.S. Coast Guard that falls under the command of the commandant of the Coast Guard through the Chief Director of the Auxiliary, and the United States Maritime Service and United States Merchant Marine, both of which are federal maritime services.

Under Title 10 of the United States Code, naval militias are also treated differently from maritime state defense forces that are composed mainly of civilian volunteers. Naval militias are considered part of the organized militia, unlike state defense forces which are part of the unorganized militia.

Naval militiamen are allowed to be simultaneous members of one of the federal reserve forces such as the Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard Reserve. Additionally, naval militia members who do not hold a federal status may be enlisted or commissioned into the federal sea services at the rank they are qualified for, at the discretion of the secretary of the Navy. This differs from state defense forces, whose members are prohibited from simultaneous membership in a federal reserve component.

Naval militias may receive federal supplies and use Navy or Marine Corps facilities also available to Naval Reserve or Marine Corps Reserve units, subject to certain restrictions.

Like members of the National Guard, the Navy and Marine Reservists who constitute most of the membership in naval militias serve in a dual federal and state capacity. They are part of their state's military forces and are subject to call by the governor of their respective states during emergencies. However, unlike civilian members of state defense forces, reserve sailors and marines serving in naval militias are liable to be federalized like National Guard personnel, coming under the command of the president in emergencies.

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