There are over 430,000 members of the National Guard living across the United States. They are families that live, work, go to school, and are a part of the fabric of nearly every community of this great nation. Each of them proud to serve their state and their country; yet each of them deterred in their mission every day that we operate without an approved budget.
The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) urges both chambers to come together and pass the 2024 appropriations bill immediately. With the passage of the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we have already taken the steps to ensure that our Citizen Soldiers and Airmen are set to be the military force we expect them to be, but we must remove the looming dread of not having an approved budget that restricts the execution of potential.
As Congress continues to negotiate through the differences of the appropriations bill, the Continual Resolutions (CR) places a strain on the National Guards ability to defend our nation. The threats that your Soldiers and Airmen face, via natural disasters, homeland defense, or even abroad, do not elect to wait until the funding cycle is complete in Washington, DC; instead, they are steady and continuous. The CR process has much deeper impacts than just the Guards ability to plan, train, or operate, it also touches the quality of life of our families. When drill periods and training opportunities face uncertainty, families face insecurity on expected pay checks, benefits, and work schedules. A CR can mean that some equipment goes without maintenance, readiness does not get achieved, modernization does not happen, and sustainment ceases. A CR means that the National Guard suffers.
EANGUS feels the impacts of a CR because we are made up of the Soldiers, Airmen, and Families that it touches. You have the greatest fighting force the world has ever known in those military uniforms, we ask you to come together and pass the FY 24 Defense Appropriations bill before the next CR continues to hurt our brave warriors.
You can help, you can let your voice be heard by visiting the EANGUS Legislative Action Center and share your concerns with Congress.
