federal recognition

[monkey06]

What does it mean to be federally recognized? Do you have to be federally recognized to be an officer or warrant officer?

[matthew.ritchie]

Federal recognition makes more sense if we take a step back. As you know, the Guard is both a state and a federal force. Under normal circumstances, the state governor controls the Guard. Thus, the governor can do whatever he wants within state law. The governor could make his buddy a colonel without any training or experience -- poof, you're a colonel, thanks for the campaign contribution. That colonel, however, would not have "federal recognition." Federal troops would not be required to salute him, he would get no federal pay or retirement, because he did not conform to federal rules.

Remember Colonel Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame? He served only a few years in the Army as a private, but years later the governor of Kentucky made him a colonel in the state militia -- a purely honorific title that the governor bestows on prominent state citizens (much like a knighthood in Britain).

"Federal recognition" is the process by which the actions that a state Guard takes are proven to be in compliance with federal laws and regulations. For officer promotions, the state cuts a promotion order first, and then submits the promotion packet to a federal recognition board or the fed rec section at NGB (depending on other factors, which I won't bore you with) to write federal orders. At that point the promoted officer pins on the rank, and starts drawing pay and allowances for that grade.

Perhaps this was too much answer, but I wouldn't think it would make sense without a bit of background.