Does PA have a militia?

[ungawa]

Originally Posted by gprimr1

Does PA have a militia?

We can have one at my house if you bring beer and food

[dman]

Originally Posted by ungawa

We can have one at my house if you bring beer and food

You know ,I'm likeing that idea.Up here where I live,it's one big hunk of forest.Everybodies got a free shootin range in their back yard or very close by. Turn it in to a party,food ,drink,this sounds very appealing!!
I'm in Clarion cuonty,maybe we should talk more about this,if nothin else,it'd be one heck of a party!!

[Diggler]

If you get one going, can I be a colonel?

I promise I'll put on 50 more pounds...

[MichaelJ]

Originally Posted by Diggler

If you get one going, can I be a colonel?

I promise I'll put on 50 more pounds...

Hahahaha! It's only funny because it's true.

[Elmar]

Organized militia would be the national guard in the state.

We should all be members of the unorganized militia.

[dman]

Originally Posted by Diggler

If you get one going, can I be a colonel?

I promise I'll put on 50 more pounds...

Only if I'm in charge of security,I,ll take the ladies side,frisking,searching,you know the dirty job,but someones' got to do it!!!!

[ungawa]

Originally Posted by MichaelJ

Hahahaha! It's only funny because it's true.

Not my last Lt. Colonel. He ate broken glass for breakfast and shit grenade fragments before bed. If he even slept.

[Swarner793]

Originally Posted by knight0334

PA has a law against para-military training. Which would prohibit organized training like you see with the Michigan Militia and other factions.

You are correct about who provides the training, the state. With a Constitutional militia the state would appoint the high officers and commission the lessor officers. The officers would then take recruits for conscription or enlistment. The training would come down from the officers and state decree.

You, I, or Joe Smo down the street could not legally start a militia and start practicing and training as such. That would pretty much rule out armed maneuvering or anything close to would you'd see at bootcamp.

However there are legal ways around the law. Separate organizations, each catering to certain functions. Like a sportsman or gun clubs for the marksmanship, survival schools, paintball teams for tactics, etc, etc.. ...then the individual would combined all skills in his/her own.

To go out as a group running around in the woods with guns will get you labeled as a para-military group and find yourself on the wrong side of the law(as part of a wrongful law in my opinion).

I disagree with your interpretation. If there is case law on this I could not find it. The training must be for the purpose of unlawful activity for it to be prohibited:

§ 5515. Prohibiting of paramilitary training



(a) Definitions.--As used in this section the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:


"Civil disorder." Any public disturbance involving acts of violence by assemblages of three or more persons, which causes an immediate danger of or results in damage or injury to the property or person of any other individual.


"Explosive or incendiary device." Includes:

(1) dynamite and all other forms of high explosives;

(2) any explosive bomb, grenade, missile or similar device; and

(3) any incendiary bomb or grenade, fire bomb or similar device, including any device which:

(i) consists of or includes a breakable container including a flammable liquid or compound and a wick composed of any material which, when ignited, is capable of igniting such flammable liquid or compound; and

(ii) can be carried or thrown by one individual acting alone.


"Firearm." Any weapon which is designed to or may readily be converted to expel any projectile by the action of an explosive; or the frame or receiver of any such weapon.


"Law enforcement officer." Any officer or employee of the United States, any state, any political subdivision of a state or the District of Columbia and such term shall specifically include, but shall not be limited to, members of the National Guard, as defined in 10 U.S.C. § 101(9), members of the organized militia of any state or territory of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the District of Columbia, not included within the definition of National Guard as defined by 10 U.S.C. § 101(9) and members of the armed forces of the United States.


(b) Prohibited training.--

(1) Whoever teaches or demonstrates to any other person the use, application or making of any firearm, explosive or incendiary device or technique capable of causing injury or death to persons, knowing or having reason to know or intending that same will be unlawfully employed for use in, or in furtherance of, a civil disorder commits a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(2) Whoever assembles with one or more persons for the purpose of training with, practicing with or being instructed in the use of any firearm, explosive or incendiary device or technique capable of causing injury or death to persons, said person intending to employ unlawfully the same for use in or in furtherance of a civil disorder commits a misdemeanor of the first degree.


(c) Exemptions.--Nothing contained in this section shall make unlawful any act of any law enforcement which is performed in the lawful performance of his official duties.


(d) Excluded activities.--Nothing contained in this section shall make unlawful any activity of the Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission, or any law enforcement agency, or any hunting club, rifle club, rifle range, pistol range, shooting range or other program or individual instruction intended to teach the safe handling or use of firearms, archery equipment or other weapons or techniques employed in connection with lawful sports or other lawful activities.


CREDIT(S)

1982, June 11, P.L. 476, No. 138, § 2, effective in 180 days. Amended 1992, March 19, P.L. 18, No. 7, § 2, imd. effective.


I am sincere when I say that my range is home to Alpha Co., 41st Infantry (Light/Surveillance) PA Militia. It may be easier for some to accept because I operate an Agency that provides Protection and Surveillance Services on a Contract basis and it is viewed as training for my Empolyees, but not everyone that trains/shoots/practices with us are employed by me. They are just becoming "well regulated". I am also a member of the Volunteer Fire Department, PSP did a raid sometime back, we get a heads up and asked if we can staff the ambulance "just in case". There are two (2) other elements of the 41st PA Militia that we are coordinated with.

We do not advocate anything against the Government and, most times, assist them. My Detective and Security Agency does a lot of contracting with the Government. Voting is how one controls a lawful government and the Militia, as I take it, are to bolster and assist that government when needed.

Be safe (and unorganized, but well regulated).

Scott

[Diggler]

Originally Posted by ungawa

Not my last Lt. Colonel. He ate broken glass for breakfast and shit grenade fragments before bed. If he even slept.

Let me clarify that I'm not referring to legitimate military rank... I'm referring to the Sgt. Sugarcookie types that like to play Rambo on the weekends and usually get busted by the ATF for making pipe bombs.

[Carnes]

Originally Posted by knight0334

PA has a law against para-military training.

Like Swarner said above, the training must be for unlawful activity's for it to be illegal. Now, much like the way that carry in schools is only 'illegal if it is for an unlawful purpose,' I think there is a lot of gray area that nobody wants to mess with.

I think it would be very easy to stay within the bounds of the law if there were to be a militia-style organization that limited its paramilitary training to Peace Keeping type operations.

I spent some time training soldiers in a situation where we were required to teach Peace Support Operations only, teaching offensive operations would have been against the 'rules.' Truth of the matter is that even though we did not teach assault techniques, the defensive techniques we taught were more than enough to prep the soldiers for offensive measures. It's all about the language used.

For example, we could not teach a how to conduct a 'Raid' but we did teach the basics of 'Hostage Rescue' Operations. Guess what? If you can do a hostage rescue, you can do a raid. Thank goodness for legalese.

So if anyone wants to organize some training in some basic 'Peace Support Operations' tactics and techniques give me a call.