---
title: O.C.G.A. § 38-2-51. Authority of Governor.
collection: code
id: 38-2-51
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 38-2-51 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/38-2-51
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/38-2-51.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/38-2-51/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t37-t39-(v28)-2021-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=c6b9c518_0#page=392
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/38-2.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: MILITARY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND VETERANS AFFAIRS / MILITARY AFFAIRS / STATE MILITIA GENERALLY / STATE DEFENSE FORCE
---

# O.C.G.A. § 38-2-51. Authority of Governor.

(a) In order to conform the organization of the State Defense Force to the organization of such state military forces as may be prescribed by the laws of the United States and regulations issued thereunder, the Governor may organize, activate, increase, change, divide, consolidate, disband, reactivate, or reorganize any unit, headquarters, staff, or cadre of the State Defense Force and may prescribe the composition and types of units, the type of organization, and the system of drill or instruction to be used in training such units.

(b) For the purposes set forth in subsection (a) of this Code section, the Governor is authorized to fix, increase, or decrease the strength of any unit, headquarters, staff, or cadre of the State Defense Force, including the number of commissioned officers, warrant officers, noncommissioned officers, and other enlisted personnel of any grade in any such unit, headquarters, staff, or cadre, and to alter the grades of officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers.

## History

Ga. L. 1917, p. 91, § 2; Code 1933, § 86-1502; Ga. L. 1951, p. 311, § 27; Ga. L. 1955, p. 10, § 56; Ga. L. 1985, p. 356, § 5.

## Cross References

Georgia Military Pension Fund, T. 47, C. 24, A. 1.