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WASHINGTON (March 27, 2020) — Retired Brig. Gen. J. Roy Robinson, the NGAUS president, issued the following statement on the Pentagon’s continued reluctance to back more state requests to use National Guardsmen in a federal Title 32 status to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak:
“It has become clear that debate is raging atop the Pentagon on whether to recommend President Donald Trump authorize more states to use National Guardsmen in a federal Title 32 status to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“A provision under Title 32 in federal law offers the best way for the states to employ the National Guard during a domestic disaster. It provides federal pay for mobilized Guardsmen, which relieves a financial burden from the states. Yet Guardsmen remain under the command of their governors, who know best what their states need in a crisis.
“Title 32 also conveys military medical coverage. Currently, if a Guardsman in a purely state status gets in an accident or is infected by the virus, he or she would be turned away from the military medical system, despite wearing an Army or Air Force uniform in service to their fellow citizens.
“But there are those in the Pentagon who oppose using Title 32 beyond the states of California, New York and Washington. They say they’re concerned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency won’t reimburse the Defense Department in a timely manner. I wonder if FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor has heard this.
“These same officials have yet to formally allow state officials in California, New York and Washington to use Title 32 orders, despite the president’s explicit authorization almost a week ago.
“They also fear that wider authorization would set a precedent, and the governors would then want to use Title 32 when responding to the next major hurricane or other regional disaster. This is just another bureaucratic excuse for not doing the right thing now.
“Let’s deal with the future when it comes. The governors and National Guardsmen and the Americans they serve need the flexibility and protections of Title 32 right now. Congress is preparing a stimulus package that includes nearly $1.5 billion for National Guard personnel to respond to the current outbreak. It’s enough to mobilize 20,000 Guardsmen for six months.
“At the very least, Pentagon officials should be preparing to use the funds the second they are authorized. No more excuses. It’s time for them to recognize that the response to the COVID-19 outbreak is homeland defense.”
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Reporters, Editors & Producers: Retired Brig. Gen. Roy Robinson is available for interviews or to appear as a subject matter expert on issues related to the National Guard. Contact John Goheen at 202-408-5882 to schedule an interview or appearance.
About NGAUS: The association includes nearly 45,000 current or former Guard officers. It was created in 1878 to provide unified National Guard representation in Washington. In their first productive meeting after Reconstruction, militia officers from the North and South formed the association with the goal of obtaining better equipment and training by educating Congress on Guard requirements. Today, 142 years later, NGAUS has the same mission.
