Indeed, except for the first bit being a dependent clause.<p>And behind that is some politics: our Founders were supremely suspicious of standing armies (we didn&#x27;t really have much of one until the Cold War) and &quot;select militias&quot;, which were groups of armed men selected by some criteria (like being a loyal Tory) instead of &quot;everyone&quot; answering the call up.<p>Some of the Founders wanted us to depend entirely on a militia system, but others, including the supremely important George Washington, commander in chief during the Revolutionary War, said no way, Regulars are required for serious wars.  And his and the other experienced commanders opinions could not be denied, so the dependent clause, very unusual in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, was a sop thrown to the pro-militia only group.