They're not patriots. One thing neither side disputes is that Colorado, New Mexico and the Southwest United States in general have historically been a hotbed for anti-government unrest. These groups are the armed units of various political groups, patriots and constitutionalists among them. There is a tendency to misunderstand what a militia is, militia group spokesmen said. It ceases to be a militia when it's no longer doing so.
Militia groups are legal in Colorado.
A bill to ban militias in Colorado failed in the Legislature this year. A couple of paramilitary groups apparently train near Denver. The Colorado First Light Infantry says on its Web site that it trains periodically just outside Boulder. We may need you, and you're no good to anyone if you're dumb on the field. The Libertarian party believes in the importance of militias.