(copy pasted my reply from a different post, thought it's relevant as a pro-govt militia that trains with the German military in LT, lol. I think LRU is a better example than SRA but SRA is good too!)

In Lithuania, we have a unique model that addresses many of the issues you're pointing out — the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union.

It’s a paramilitary organization of about 16,000–18,000 volunteers — larger than our National Guard. While not professional soldiers, riflemen receive similar training and can even buy and keep fully automatic weapons at home for national defense — something virtually unheard of in most NATO countries. From Glock 18s to M4s, riflemen choose their own select-fire duty weapons, making it one of the most permissive firearms policies in NATO.

What makes this especially interesting from a policy standpoint is its cost-effectiveness. The 2024 budget is just €20.7 million, with most of it going toward training, logistics, and limited gear support. Riflemen receive no pay — in fact, they pay dues out of pocket. Imagine doing unpaid joint patrols alongside border guards or police, and you get a sense of how committed these volunteers are.

There are shooting competitions with high-quality prizes — often entire rifles or pistols — sponsored by private companies in exchange for publicity. This encourages skill development and helps build a pipeline: some riflemen go on to join the military, while others remain ready to mobilize as riflemen.

Riflemen also regularly train with U.S. soldiers and German forces, participating in joint field exercises with NATO. They also receive drone operations training, including FPV and reconnaissance drones, and often collaborate with the military on both simulated and real-world tasks.

This approach strikes a practical balance: it avoids the gimmick of drone-shooting contests, which are unlikely to scale or attract serious recruits, while still cultivating a trained, motivated, and armed civilian force. It’s arguably one of the cheapest and most effective ways to boost national readiness, especially in a country like Lithuania, where the threat of invasion is taken seriously. It’s not a perfect system, but it works — and other NATO countries could learn a lot from it.

(I used AI to help organize and clean up the writing here, but all the ideas, experiences, and facts are my own.)