Not long ago, the active-duty military derided National Guard and Reserve units as “weekend warriors.” But, as the Pentagon relies more heavily on citizen soldiers, the chiefs of each military branch’s guard and reserve components are calling for modernization of equipment, training, and increased benefits.
“It’s a matter of readiness,” Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, told the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 1.
Hokanson wants to transition some Air National Guard units to the newest military branch, the United States Space Force. Several existing Guard units have worked with the space program for over 28 years, he said, and transitioning would be more cost-effective….