Specialty units exist at the company level for tasks such as search and rescue, watercraft operation, diving, and security.

TXSG personnel are also eligible for the same State issued military awards and decorations as members of the Texas Army & Air National Guard.

For example, deployed members of the Texas State Guard received the Governor's Unit Citation for Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief in 2005.

On February 18, 1823, Emperor of Mexico, Agustín de Iturbide, authorized Austin who was the leader of the first non-Spanish efforts of Texas settlement "to organize the colonists into a body of the national militia, to preserve tranquility.

"[3] Austin was appointed to the rank of lieutenant colonel and allowed the colonists to elect all subordinate militia officers.

[4] It was revived in 1941, after thousands of Texan troops were deployed overseas in World War II, to provide state military forces and support for wartime civil defense.

This number was in sharp contrast to the 11,633 members of the Texas National Guard mustered into federal service some months before.

The Texas Defense Guard was organized into fifty independent battalions, each composed of a varying number of companies and a headquarters.

For several years, there were six Military Police Groups with boundaries generally following those of Texas Department of Public Safety command districts.

In 1979, the 7th Military Police Group was formed to provide for command and control over remaining separate battalions in East Texas.

The original six groups were headquartered in Fort Worth, Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, Midland, Lubbock, and Austin.

Regimental headquarters were established in San Antonio (1st), Austin (2nd), Fort Worth (4th), Houston (8th), Dallas (19th), and Lubbock (39th).

For the first time since World War II, the regiments were authorized distinctive unit insignia for wear by assigned personnel.