The Georgia Naval Militia (GNM) is the legally-authorized but currently inactive naval militia of the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia Naval Militia, along with the Georgia National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force, is a component of the organized militia of Georgia.
Contents
History
The predecessor to the Georgia Naval Militia, the Georgia State Navy, was originally created by the colony of Georgia in July 1775 in order to protect shipping interests in Savannah. The navy consisted of four galleys, whose funding was provided by the Continental Congress.
The Georgia Naval Militia was created by the General Assembly on December 19, 1893. By the next year, Companies A and B of the Naval Reserve Artillery were organized in Brunswick and Savannah, Georgia, respectively. The naval militia trained with the federal navy on various ships, including the USS Amphitrite and the USS Prairie. The USS Passaic was given to the Georgia Naval Militia by the federal government and delivered on July 30, 1896; it remained available for the Georgia Naval Militia for the next two years.
The Georgia Naval Militia was mustered out of service in November 1911.
Legal status
Naval militias of U.S. states are recognized by the federal government of the United States under 10 U.S. Code ยง7851. Georgia law also recognizes the naval militia as a component of the organized militia. Therefore, an executive order by the Governor of Georgia or an act of legislature would be legally sufficient to reactivate the Georgia Naval Militia.