FY19 Appropriations Request–National Guard Funding

Dear Chairwoman Granger, Chairman Cochran, Ranking Member Visclosky and Ranking Member Durbin:

On behalf of the National Governors Association (NGA), we write to you regarding our long-standing commitment to the readiness of our National Guard. Governors appreciates your continued support, ensuring adequate funding for National Guard equipment and manpower through annual congressional appropriations. Your support has proven even more critical in light of the robust disaster relief response efforts following hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate, when thousands of national guardsmen and women responded to the historic and terrible flooding in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida.

The recent hurricane and firefighting seasons clearly illustrated the necessity of Guard equipment readiness. Guard domestic operations include the use of helicopters, cargo aircraft such as the C-130s, medical evacuation aircraft, and numerous vehicles, most especially Humvees. This equipment is essential to every disaster relief and public safety mission our states must undertake on a daily basis.

Congress has been instrumental in funding efforts to help modernize C-130s, F-15s, F-16s, Blackhawks and Humvees in the past. The readiness of the National Guard is dependent upon this continued funding, specifically as provided by Congress through two major annual procurement programs, the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account (NGREA) and the Army National Guard Humvee Modernization Program.

New and well-maintained vehicles and aircraft ensure greater reliability, more efficiency, and most importantly, readiness for life-saving missions on behalf of our fellow citizens when disasters strike. Additionally, funding ensures that our National Guard remains an operational reserve, able to meet the needs of the nation at a moment’s notice, both at home and overseas.

NGREA and the Guard Humvee Modernization Program remain a top priority for governors and our adjutants general across the country. NGA supports continued efforts to help modernize National Guard equipment so that they may be able to respond to missions both at home and overseas.

We are thankful for your continued support of our National Guard.

Respectfully,

cc.
Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations
Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations