WASHINGTON — The National Guard is facing a major budget crunch.
The overall funding request for the military's Reserve Components in fiscal year 2025 is nearly 2% lower than it was in FY 2024 — equating to a reduction of nearly $2 billion.
The National Guard has a nearly $2.7 billion unfunded priorities list — $1.35 billion of that would go towards 12 new fighter jets, six F-15s and six F-35s.
Members of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on Tuesday called the budget as currently drafted "disappointing."
"In short. the need to properly resource, ready, well-equip ready, integrated Guard and Reserve components could not be more clear," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).
"Providing our guardsmen and reservists the best possible training and equipment just like their active-duty counterparts is a national security imperative," said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana).
The Chief of the National Guard Bureau told lawmakers the best thing they can do to help is to approve an on-time budget.
According to the Pew Research Center, the budget resolution has been late for 30 of the past 49 fiscal years, counting FY 24, which wasn't finally okayed by Congress until this March, more than five months late.
"Anytime we have a Continuing Resolution for any period of time, it has a significant impact on our organization, not only readiness but equipment, MILCON, everything. So, any help we could get to eliminate the CRs would be greatly appreciated," said General Daniel Hokanson.
A RAND Corporation report in April noted that demands for the National Guard seem to be much higher than in past decades.
The report listed "stressors" which impact Nation Guard soldiers and airmen including the pace of operations, family separations, lacking access to health care and difficulty obtaining childcare.