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WASHINGTON (Aug. 14, 2023) — The civilian head of the Air Force and the senior officers of the Army and the National Guard will top the agenda when more than 2,000 current and retired Guard officers gather Aug. 18 to 21 in Reno, Nevada, for the 145th NGAUS General Conference & Exhibition.
Conference business sessions open Aug. 19 with presentations by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Hokanson is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which advises the U.S. president, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council on military matters.
Speakers Aug. 20 include Gen. Randy A. George, the Army vice chief of staff acting as the Army chief of staff.
Most speakers will address the conference theme, America’s National Guard: A Local Force with Global Reach.
It is an especially appropriate slogan this year as the Guard celebrates the 30th anniversary of its State Partnership Program, which now includes 100 countries worldwide. The Guard has also contributed to operations and exercises in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America.
Meanwhile, the force has responded to multiple missions at home under the authorities of the governors.
Speakers are also certain to touch upon emerging national security threats, future defense budgets and the Guard’s place in the National Defense Strategy.
The conference is the annual NGAUS business meeting. Conference delegates from all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia will set their 2024 legislative agenda and elect members to the association’s board of directors.
Also included in the event is a large trade show. More than 320 companies that sell or want to sell products and services to the Guard will exhibit. Among them are some of the world’s largest defense contractors, but some are smaller companies attempting to break into the market.
More conference information, the full business agenda and a complete list of exhibitors are available here.
Reporters: All major conference events will be held at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. A press office will be established in the facility. Office contact information will be provided in a later release. Conference press credentials will be issued onsite.
NGAUS: The association was created in 1878 to provide united 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 militia requirements. Today, 145 years later with more than 40,000 members nationwide, NGAUS has the same mission.
