AVON, CT— As seven new recruits began training with the First Company Governor’s Horse Guard on Sunday, the historic Connecticut militia unit now faces an uncertain future under a bill advancing at the Capitol.
“You can’t find a place like this anywhere in the country,” said First Lieutenant Amanda Matava. “We serve the community; we instill a sense of pride and civic duty in people that see us.”
The First Company, based in Avon, dates back centuries and participates in state functions, parades, and public ceremonies. Recruits train for 16 weeks, focusing on horsemanship and military bearing, joining roughly 20 active troopers.
But a new bill could reshape the force, shifting the Governor’s Guards from a state-funded organized militia into a privatized military entity.
“Carrying on tradition and maintaining our history is so important,” said Lieutenant Kathryn LaCroix. “If we stop what we were doing, we lose all of that history.”
At a January hearing, Second Company Lieutenant Barbara Mazzara said, “Privatization is not feasible. The cost, time requirements and facility management would be far too much for this all-volunteer unit.”
The bill received a favorable committee vote and now awaits placement on the legislative calendar.
