Free Republic

(snip) Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, the Guard's adjutant general, ordered the naval militia to stand down in 2002 while state officials, concerned about training, liability and funding issues, reviewed its status. Jordan and fellow militia members John Jedrejczyk and Mark Tegeder, along with former member Louis Ianniello, counterattacked this month. They fired a legal salvo at state officials, accusing them in a civil rights complaint of military branch discrimination. "We're doing this for the other members," said Jordan, 47, of Jackson, a certified firearms instructor. "We hope to get this moving again in the right direction. We've been totally...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed two new laws extending fringe benefits to members of the California Naval Militia, but here's the catch: No such agency exists. SB 1322 promises educational incentives and SB 1193 guarantees a $10,000 death benefit tied to service in the naval militia. Don't bother inquiring - you're not eligible. But that could change soon. The legislation, effective New Year's Day, is setting the stage for a future branch of the state Military Department that would have dual state and federal status like the California National Guard. While the National Guard's members are affiliates of the U.S....