Even though Lobby Day happened on Monday, recently the Adjutant General (Civilian Liaison/Lawyer-ish guy) of the Virginia National Guard came to the General Assembly yesterday with a simple request.
Maj. General Daniel E. Long, Jr. came to thank Virginia for its support of its National Guards but also to ask for a little support. Since the troop cut-downs in Afghanistan and the total withdrawal from Iraq, the National Guard has since been re-pigeon-holed to its former status as the underfunded, undermanned strategic reserve of Virginia. Many of the men comprising our Guards today have served tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and they don't deserve to be put back up on a shelf without funding or training.
The Virginia Department of Military Affairs has put forth two bills to the Assembly this year to help Guards re-acclimate to their old posts and duties. One that will provide automatic in-state tuition to Virginia Guards and another that would give former Guards a leg up trying to find employment with the state. Governor McDonnell has thrown his support behind both of them in an admirable show of support for our military and we applaud him.
Gen. Long warned the Assembly that underfunded, and without the proper training, that the future Guards would not be able to rise to the demands of the Commonwealth the way that they can now. With President Obama's plans to re-organize the American military, the funding that keeps these brave men and women waiting in the wings is in jeopardy.
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