The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was a federal law enacted by Congress in 1878 to limit federal governments from using the powers of the Air Force and Army in law enforcement functions civil law. The law ensures that civilian law enforcement agencies are directly responsible for all law enforcement functions in the United States and that the military is responsible for fighting America's wars abroad. The military can only be used as a police force in America if expressly authorized. The Posse Comitatus Act was enacted in 1878 to remove federal troops from the Southern territories after the Civil War. U.S. Army troops were stationed in the South during the Reconstruction following the Civil War. "The posse comitatus (from which the term posse is derived) is the power or force of the county and refers to citizens over the age of 15, who can be summoned by a sheriff to enforce the law." the Army from acting in the manner of civilian law enforcement. The other Armed Forces were added to the Posse Comitatus as directed by the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense is responsible overall for all armed forces and has the ability to write instructions and regulations covering all branches. Violations of the law fall under anything considered a law enforcement function, such as surveillance of a civilian, the search of property or arrest. Anyone who ignores the law and uses military force can be fined and face imprisonment of up to two years in prison. The law does not apply to the National Guard because the National Guard is controlled by each state. The Posse Comitatus Act (PCA) applies to active duty military personnel, active duty reservists, inactive duty reservists for training, D... ... middle of paper ...... ilian personnel is trained and equipped to manage all risks. The Pose Comitatus Act of 1878 was introduced to ensure that military commanders could not forcibly take over the civilian population. The law ensures that each individual state is responsible for maintaining good order and discipline in its jurisdiction. The act is very limited and allows the military to assist civil authorities if the need is necessary and desired. I believe the Posse Comitatus Act serves a valuable purpose in American law, but changes may be made in the future to provide a more up-to-date standard, especially in the area of ​​terrorism. Works Cited1. "Act of the Posse Comitatus". Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th edition (2013): 1. Military and Government Collection. Network. 7 December 2013.2. "Aid to civil authorities and public relations". 32 CFR 501.1. 2002.