Who We Are

In recognition of this pre-existent right, the People of the United States passed the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, the text of which states, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” 

In Virginia, the People similarly set forth Article I, Section 13 of the Constitution of Virginia, “That a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state, therefore, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power.”

Va. Code Sections 44-1 and 44-4 reference three statutory classes of the Militia of the Commonwealth of Virginia: the “National Guard”, the “Virginia Defense Force”, and those individuals from the body of the people, trained to arms, who make up the currently “Unorganized” Militia; 

Va. Code Section 44-75.1, in “the event of invasion or insurrection or imminent threat of either” the Governor or his designee may call forth any class of the Militia to state active duty for service; and may do so in the “event of flood, hurricane, fire or other forms of natural or man-made disaster where in human life, public or private property, or the environment is imperiled”; or in “emergencies of lesser magnitude…including but not limited to the disruption of vital public services, wherein the use of militia personnel or equipment would be of assistance to one or more departments, agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions of the Commonwealth.”

Interestingly, under Va. Code Section 44-78.1, when the circumstances described above arise within the boundaries of a County, its Sheriff or Board of Supervisors “may call upon the Governor for assistance from the militia”, and the “Governor may call forth the militia or any part thereof to provide such assistance as he may deem proper in responding to such circumstances”, including the Militia in Bedford County. 

If the Governor, the Sheriff, or the Board of Supervisors are going to be able to rely upon a local subset of the Militia, then it is obvious that that the Militia must be able to assemble and train, as individuals and collectively, to organize and to coordinate their ability to rapidly respond, so that in the event they are called by the Sheriff or the Board and ordered by the Governor, or by the President, they can capably and expeditiously assist local civil authorities in times of need.

As stated previously, the Militia, as described in the Constitution of Virginia, is composed of the “body of the people” and should, as the Constitution of Virginia directs, be “trained to arms.” 

What types of arms make the most sense? Which are legally contemplated by the Second Amendment and Article 1 Section 13 as those that are suitable for use by the Militia? What should the Militia be trained to use, and be able to “muster” with should the need arise? 

Common sense would dictate the answer to each of these questions be firearms that are in “common use” within our society.

Would such firearms include modern repeating or semi-automatic rifles and pistols, including variants of the civilian AR-15-type rifle, the most popular rifle by type in the United States? Yes, of course. 

Modern firearms have ergonomically desirable features allowing for the common person to obtain better accuracy and greater controllability during use. Maintenance, repair, and improvement from stock-grade rifles are also made easier and more affordable to the common person by the exceptional availability of standard parts and accessories for AR-15-type rifles. 

In the event the Militia are called upon to defend the country, then it also makes sense that they would have the ability to use the U.S. and NATO-standard rifle magazines, which by design have a 30-round capacity. Such firearms and firearm parts are ideally suited for defensive purposes both by individual citizens, and collectively, by citizens serving as members of the Militia, or in law enforcement, or in the Department of Defense.

The Militia have a long history of selfless and honorable service to their localities, states, and the country in times of crisis, including natural and man-made disasters, and other emergencies. We intend to demonstrate that the Militia can be a valuable asset in assisting local authorities in modern times. 

On a more sobering, but equally important note, we must remember the circumstances under which our Commonwealth was founded. Recall that the Motto of the Commonwealth of Virginia, established by our founders, is Sic Semper Tyrannis (‘Thus unto Tyrants’), and that it is a warning to those entrusted with governance within the Commonwealth not to exceed their Constitutional authority. 

To be an effective warning, however, such a Motto must be backed up by the People themselves, specifically, “the body of the People, trained to arms.”

The Militia, as intended by our founders, is the last best hope of the Commonwealth to secure the liberties protected by the Constitution, whether they may be threatened by foreign foes on the international scene, such as communist China or a resurgent Russia, or by domestic foes of a tyrannical government that is antithetical to our Constitution and enemies of our country. 

It is because we are sincere in our convictions, as expressed above, that we have committed to living out the intent and fullness of the freedoms recognized and protected by the Constitution of the United States and Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and we choose to do so by volunteering our time and energy towards organizing the Militia in Bedford County.