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The term militia in the United States has been defined and modified by Congress several times throughout U.S. history. As a result, the meaning of "the militia" is complex and has transformed over time.〔Spitzer, Robert J.: ''The Politics of Gun Control'', Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. ''"〕 It has historically been used to describe all able-bodied men who are not members of the Army or Navy (Uniformed Services). From the U.S. Constitution, Article II (The Executive branch), Sec. 2, Clause 1: "The President shall be the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States when called into the actual service of the United States." Today, the term ''militia'' is used to describe a number of groups within the United States. Primarily, these are: *The organized militia defined by the Militia Act of 1903, which repealed section two hundred thirty-two and sections 1625 - 1660 of title sixteen of the Revised Statutes, consists of State militia forces, notably the National Guard and the Naval Militia.〔 The National Guard, however, is not to be confused with the National Guard of the United States, which is a federally recognized reserve military force, although the two are linked. *The reserve militia〔Beard, Charles Austin: ''Readings in American Government and Politics'', Page 308. Macmillan, 1909. ''"Sec. 1. That the militia...shall be divided into two classes...the organized militia, to be known as the National Guard...and the remainder to be known as the Reserve Militia."''〕 are part of the unorganized militia defined by the Militia Act of 1903 as consisting of every able-bodied man of at least 17 and under 45 years of age who is not a member of the National Guard or Naval Militia. *Former members of the armed forces are also considered part of the "unorganized militia" per Sec 313 Title 32 of the US Code.〔Department of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, ''Military compensation background papers'', Seventh edition, page 229. Department of Defense, 2005.〕 ==Etymology== From Old English ''milite'' meaning soldiers (plural), ''militisc'' meaning military and also classical Latin ''milit-, miles'' meaning soldier. The Modern English term ''militia'' dates to the year 1590, with the original meaning now obsolete: "the body of soldiers in the service of a sovereign or a state". Subsequently, since approximately 1665, ''militia'' has taken the meaning "a military force raised from the civilian population of a country or region, especially to supplement a regular army in an emergency, frequently as distinguished from mercenaries or professional soldiers." 〔Oxford English Dictionary, Draft Revision March 2002.〕 The distinction is because militia members are not paid soldiers, but serve as volunteers on an ad hoc basis to protect the freedom of their home and country. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Militia (United States)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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