(Photo by Gary Raynaldo /©Diplomatic Times)  Chief of the National Guard Bureau Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson (right) and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief Tony L. Whitehead hold a press briefing for reporters at the Pentagon in Washington DC Jan .24, 2023. 

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC   TIMES

PENTAGON   –  WASHINGTON   DC  –    The National Guard’s motto Always Ready, Always There is not just an overused slogan, but a promise to the American people. That is what Chief of the National Guard Bureau Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson wants the nation to know. Gen. Hokanson and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief Tony L. Whitehead held a press briefing with reporters Tuesday at the Pentagon to discuss the National Guard’s accomplishments in 2022 and its priorities for 2023. The National Guard remains an integral part of U.S. military might, and it’s changing to remain effective for the future, he stressed.  The National Guard is the strategic reserve of the U.S. military.   Gen. Hokanson laid out the four priorities  he said will  ensure the National Guard “keeps our promise to the American people, the promise to be Always Ready, Always There.”  This is by prioritizing people, readiness, modernization, and reform, he said. 

“Today’s National Guard is ready, capable and a vital part of our National Defense Strategy.  As the combat reserve of the Army and the Air Force, our soldiers and airmen are built to fight our nation’s wars.”

-Gen. Hokanson

He said the National Guard force is currently more than 430,000 strong, or 20 percent of the Joint Force, second only in size to the active-duty Army.  “In 2022, we provided ground and air forces to all of America’s combatant commands. That included Army formations in the Middle East and Europe, global tanker, airlift and fighter aircraft support and training with our allies and partners around the globe.  We supported our first responders and rescued American families when hurricanes made landfall in Florida and Puerto Rico, when tornadoes leveled a seven-mile stretch of eastern Kentucky, when wildfires scorched millions of acres out west and we rescued over 2,400 people when flash flooding hit Montana and Kentucky. We also assisted with election security during the recent midterm elections, and that doesn’t begin to cover the impact we make in our local communities every day,”  Gen. Hokanson said.  Thousands of National Guardsmen also helped Americans during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, he noted. 

Health Care for National Guard Soldiers To Be Top Priority: Gen. Hokanson

According to Gen. Hokanson, some 60,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen have no medical coverage. “That’s why the Healthcare for Our Troops Act is on my radar. If passed, it will allow every member of the Reserves and National Guard to sign up for TRICARE Reserve Select with no fees or copays. This is the right thing to do for our service members and their families, who often bear undue financial and medical hardships as a result,” he said.  Gen. Hokanson said that in addition to premium-free healthcare, the America’s  Guardsmen deserve the same pay and benefits when performing the same duties as their active duty and Reserve counterparts.  Modernization of equipment, training and weapons is another priority 

“We’ve created 25-year modernization road maps for all our major weapons systems.  We’re in lockstep with the Army on things like multi-domain operations, long-range precision fires, main battle tanks, air defense, future vertical lift and more. To fight side by side as the Army’s combat reserve, we must be interoperable and have the same equipment whenever possible,” Gen. Hokanson explained. 

Reform is also a priority – Texas National Guard 3D Printed First of Its kind Military Barracks 

“Part of our effort to reform is through innovation, as we seek to become a more resilient part of the joint force and our communities,” Gen. Hokanson said.  “We’re also looking at more cost-effective solutions to military construction. Last year the Texas National Guard 3D-printed the first of its kind military barracks. At over 5,000 square feet, it houses 72 soldiers, was printed in 113 days, was ready for occupancy in 209 days, and at approximately 70 percent the cost of a conventional barracks.”