Michigan. Dept. of Military Affairs.

Titles applied to Michigan military forces vary in the materials comprising this record group. We refer to the Michigan National Guard (State Guard), State Troops, Militia, and Michigan Naval Brigade, Militia, and Force. Whenever state military units were mobilized into federal service during emergencies, they were called State Troops. State Troops were first organized in 1870. Records of the Michigan Naval Force were created when the state was organized into four districts, each containing one battalion, and an air arm. The five battalions were termed the Michigan Naval Brigade.