This bill would elevate the National Guard to a cabinet level position that reports directly to the Governor and has a direct line of communication to our federal delegation. The bill also establishes the Executive Office of the Military Division, of which the adjunct general will serve as the secretary and report directly to the Governor.

In any instances of public safety or national security threats, the National Guard can respond quickly and efficiently, and with military power and resources. However, they currently must report to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, which reports directly to the Governor, making communications delayed, non-transparent, and potentially makes us at a greater risk to activity dangerous to our way of life.

The Massachusetts National Guard is a reserve component of the United States Army and Air Force that operates under state authority in part. The Guard responds to an array of domestic emergencies, overseas combat missions, counterdrug efforts, reconstruction missions and more. Guard soldiers can be called upon at any time by either the state governor or the president of the United States as they are trained to respond to natural disasters, other civil emergencies, and support federal military missions. This bill is crucial to ensuring adequate response in any of the Guard’s functions but also in case of emergency by the Guard, such as natural disasters, threats to our basic public, community safety, and even our national security.