However, officer or soldiers placed on the retired roll of the Active Army or Reserve components, are eligible, with prior approval from the Governor, to transfer their commission to a military command within that State, and continue to serve at present or higher rank.

[3] Soon after in 1623, the Governor, Sir Francis Wyatt, dictated that all men in the Virginia Militia must drill every month on their county court house green.

Its officers were often unpaid volunteers and they would provide a corps to serve as Aides de Camp to the Commanding Generals of the British Army as well as fighting forces.

The regiment was a hybrid and included soldiers of "foote, rangers and mounted" and fought in the southern battles of the French and Indian War.

As the revolutionary spirit spread across the new nation, the House of Burgesses reconstituted the Virginia Regiment and expanded it dramatically.

In 1846, the main county units mustered for service in the Mexican War, but the requirements on the Virginia Regiment did not have them actually deploy west and they were sent back to their homes and colors cased again in 1848.

The group guarded bridges, waterways, fuel storage areas, and public buildings and facilities during the war years, armed with surplus weapons dating back to 1876.

Due to the possibility of imminent American involvement in World War II, Governor Price ordered the establishment of the Virginia Protective Force on January 2, 1941.

To date, it is one of a few US military units that can claim battle participation for campaigns and wars that took place prior to the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

OD skill rockers are authorized for wear on the left shoulder above the VDF unit patch by those who meet the criteria.

The modifications for VDF dress uniforms include but are not limited to brass/gold rank insignia, the crossed saber and musket symbolizing the militia, buttons bearing the Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and red nameplates.

The Defense Force is evolving into a Civil Affairs command and will provide training in military related specialties such as communication, infrastructure restoration, public shelters, traffic control, and unarmed security missions.

VDF companies and battalions are self-training but conduct annual training as a division every year at Ft. Barfoot, Virginia.

During the Iraq War, the VDF was tasked with securing vacated armories, maintaining equipment, and providing support to families of deployed troops.

[7] The VDF maintains several Shelter Augmentation Liaison Teams (SALT), with each team consisting of three VDF members who serve as liaisons between the Virginia State Police and the Virginia National Guard in the event that the National Guard is deployed to take over shelter management from the police during a stateside emergency.

Previously known as Force Protection units, civil support security platoons provide capabilities such as traffic management, access control, gate sentry and vehicle searches, and the communications platoons use HF radios and tactical communication packages for data and voice messaging as well as incident management.

[10] The major units of the VDF and where they are headquartered are: The Virginia Defense Force maintained an aviation battalion with companies in the Hampton Roads area, Orange, and Danville.

The VDF's Aviation Battalion maintained fifteen privately owned aircraft, and conducted damage assessment, aerial reconnaissance, and search and rescue missions.

[11] The Aviation Battalion assisted the DEA with counter-drug trafficking reconnaissance in rural and remote areas of Virginia.