‘Be a part of history’ — Gov. DeSantis seeking applicants for State Guard Director

Image via WEAR.

Florida is taking names of people who want to lead the rebirth of the Florida State Guard.

With a tagline saying, “protect Florida, defend freedom,” Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ office announced Tuesday that it opened an application portal for the Director of the State Guard, a civilian force the Legislature resurrected this year at the Republican Governor’s behest. The Director will oversee the recruitment and training of 400 guard members and mobilize the force during states of emergency.

Based in St. Augustine, the position will be part-time and pay a $400 to $500 stipend per day. In addition to working as a team and meeting physical, tactical and scheduling requirements, the Governor’s Office asks that applicants be “ready to be a part of history.”

The Governor’s Office says the ideal candidate has experience in military-style operations, emergency management, leadership and problem-solving.

The State Guard was founded as a World War II-era volunteer force but has been defunct since the 1940s. After DeSantis announced in December that he wanted a dedicated emergency force that doesn’t answer to the federal government, the Legislature reauthorized it in the coming fiscal year’s budget at $10 million.

“If you love the state of Florida, have a desire to help your community, and have skills beneficial to protect the state from a disaster, we encourage you to apply to join the FLSG,” according to a news release.

Florida residents interested in enlisting into the force must be between the ages of 18-60 and satisfy several criteria, including a medical exam with standards similar to the Florida National Guard.

Unlike the Florida National Guard, the State Guard would answer solely to the Governor without federal deployments, federal missions or federal funding.

Under the terms, a Governor may mobilize the State Guard when the National Guard is under federal orders during a state of emergency.

Such circumstances are more common than not, according to state data. The National Guard has served more than 2.9 million federal workdays between 2016 and 2021, but only 834,000 on state missions. 

The State Guard would assist the National Guard with hurricanes, natural disasters, and other Florida-specific emergencies.

DeSantis’ call came in December, months after he recalled National Guard forces serving in Washington to protect the nation’s Capitol after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Democrats, like Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, have criticized the State Guard as DeSantis’ “private army.”