TABLE OF CONTENTS

Implementing 

the National 

Defense Strategy

3 CNGB EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW

19 FIGHTING AMERICA’S WARS

 Providing the Army and Air Force lethal forces capable of fighting 

in an array of complex environments

 Offering capacity and capability at a tremendous value for our 

nation

21 SECURING THE HOMELAND

 Training and legal authorities enable 

unmatched domestic response capability 

 Facilitating a unified and rapid response

23 BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

 Forging productive relationships that deter aggression, support 

stability, and foster economic growth 

 Unified homeland response efforts achieved through ongoing 

federal, state and local partnerships

26 SOLDIERS, AIRMEN AND FAMILIES

 Building a capable, diverse and healthy force

 Providing programs that ease the challenge military service places 

on Guard members and their families 
EXECUTIVE 

OVERVIEW

3

Executive 

Overview

A COMPLEX, EVOLVING 

SECURITY ENVIRONMENT 

WILL REQUIRE GREATER 

RELIANCE ON THE 

NATIONAL GUARD
Implementing the National Defense Strategy

By General Joseph L. Lengyel Chief, National Guard Bureau

I

assumed duties as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau over two years 

ago. It has been my honor each and every day to represent nearly 450,000 

Soldiers and Airmen serving in the National Guard. They are the finest 

National Guard force in our nation’s history. 

 

For 18 years, the joint force focused on executing counterinsurgency 

operations and fighting violent extremists. Counterinsurgency operations 

will remain a core competency. However, the 2018 National Defense 

Strategy (NDS) refocuses the Department of Defense (DoD) for long-term 

competition with China and Russia. The NDS portrays China and Russia as 

our dominant focus, while Iran, North Korea, and non-state actors remain 

national security threats. 

Your National Guard’s three core missions of fighting America’s wars, 

protecting the homeland, and building enduring partnerships directly support 

the NDS’s three lines of effort: building a more lethal force; strengthening 

alliances and attracting new partners; and reforming the DoD for greater 

performance and affordability. 

The National Guard has transformed itself since the first Gulf War. It is now 

an operational force and no longer a strategic reserve. It is imperative the 

National Guard remains an operational force, as part of our Army and Air 

Force, who helps protect and secure our interests at home and abroad.

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Executive 

Overview
our service members can utilize their training, will help keep the force relevant, ready, 

and integrated with our active components. 

The President directed the stand up of a Space Force this 

past year to protect and develop our vital interests in 

space. DoD space-based assets and capabilities protect our 

critical infrastructure, our economy, and our democracy. 

The National Guard continues to contribute critical 

capabilities in space, and we stand ready to support 

any future Space Force.

WARFIGHT

First, fighting America’s wars is the primary mission of the National Guard. The 

National Guard is focused on readiness as the NDS demands more lethality from 

our military. We are the principal combat reserve of the Army and Air 

Force making up 20 percent of the entire joint force providing 

strategic depth in support of combatant commands. There 

is only one standard of readiness in fighting America’s 

wars. This readiness requires the National Guard to be 

deployable, sustainable, and interoperable with our 

active components. Enhancing full-time support and 

replacing and upgrading dilapidated facilities are vital 

in that regard. The National Guard also requires 

parity in equipping its force through concurrent and 

balanced modernization and recapitalization so it can 

deliver the lethality required to the joint force. 

On any given day, the National Guard averages 30,000 

Soldiers and Airmen mobilized on duty in every region of the 

world. When mobilized and deployed, the Guard is interchangeable 

with its active components. We provide the joint force highly trained and 

experienced Soldiers and Airmen to meet mission requirements anywhere. Our 

Citizen Soldiers and Airmen are present wherever you see the Army and the Air Force. 

“Thirty-nine days a year” is no longer the standard for much of the National Guard. 

Today’s force expects to be deployed. Predictable and rotational mobilizations, where 

BUILDING A MORE LETHAL FORCE FOR THE WARFIGHT AND HOMELAND

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HOMELAND

The NDS underscores the fact our homeland is no longer a 

sanctuary and new technologies and weapons can reach the 

heart of America with little or no warning. The 2019 Missile 

Defense Review clearly articulates the need to pursue advanced 

missile defense concepts and technologies to protect the 

homeland. The National Guard, with its missile defenders 

at Fort Greely, Alaska, Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., and 

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., remains critical to our nation’s 

missile defense and stands ready to evolve in recognition of 

advancing threats.

The National Guard’s unique dual state and federal roles and 

robust presence in 2,600 communities in our states, territories, 

and the District of Columbia give our forces the widest 

presence of any military force in America and the ability to 

quickly respond to contingencies. Our skills and experience 

from the warfight are used to assist first responders and play 

an important part in a unified response under federal or state 

command during domestic emergencies. We will remain, in most 

cases, the first military force to assist first responders in the 

states, territories, and the District of Columbia.

In addition to approximately 30,000 Soldiers and Airmen 

mobilized around the world, on average, we have approximately 

10,000 Guard Soldiers and Airmen conducting operations in 

the United States on a typical day. We provide capability and 

capacity to the United States Northern Command and North 

American Aerospace Defense Command. Fifteen of the sixteen 

alert sites safeguarding our skies within the United States are 

operated by the Air National Guard (ANG). The National 

Guard Counterdrug Program assists law enforcement with 

the detection, interdiction, disruption and curtailment of illicit 

drug trafficking. Approximately 55 percent of DoD’s chemical, 

biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) response forces, 

capable of responding to a host of CBRN threats, reside in the 

National Guard. National Guard cyber units protect our critical 

networks from malicious cyberattacks and provide an important 

cyber resource to Governors. Our Ground-based Midcourse 

Defense units in Alaska, Colorado, and California protect our 

citizens from ballistic missiles. 

Last year, the National Guard supported responses to natural 

disasters such as Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and the 

wildland fires in California by providing a myriad of services and 

aid to those devastated in these regions. The National Guard 

was there every step of the way. 

Whether executing DoD support to the Department of 

Homeland Security’s Southwest border security mission or 

providing support for state responses to catastrophic disasters, 

the National Guard meets its homeland requirements while 

also meeting its wartime missions in support of combatant 

commands.

 

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Strengthen Alliances,

Attract New Partners

Alliances and partnerships provide an enduring, asymmetric 

strategic advantage over our competitors. Working with 

allies maintains the favorable balance of power that deters 

aggression and promotes stability and economic growth.

The DoD uses multiple tools to strengthen partnerships and 

alliances that include security assistance, security cooperation, 

military-to-military leader and staff engagement, and regional 

cooperation. The National Guard aligns with the joint force 

through these activities and adds a unique contribution 

through the State Partnership Program (SPP).

Partnerships

Eighty-three countries currently participate in the SPP with 

more partnerships expected in 2019. The SPP is a high 

leverage, low-cost program with partnerships in every region 

of the world. It expands America’s competitive space through 

exchanges that extend beyond the military realm. Roughly 

one-third of the nations in the world are partnered with one 

of our 50 states, 3 territories and the District of Columbia. 

These relationships, built on trust, the exchange of ideas, 

and mutual respect, served as the basis for approximately 80 

co-deployments and turned many security consumers into 

security providers.

The SPP is a scalable and tailored approach to security 

cooperation. The National Guard consults and coordinates 

with combatant commanders, U.S. Embassies and their 

Country Teams, and host nations to understand the full range 

of issues they face. SPP events are led by respective state 

adjutants general who seek engagements on a broad array of 

interests that are beneficial to both nations. 

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Over 950 SPP events were conducted in FY18 across all 

Geographic Combatant Commands. In some of these 

regions, the SPP is the primary tool utilized by host 

nations for security cooperation. Given the benefits of 

this program, consistent funding is critical to sustain the 

groundwork and momentum that have been built over the 

25 years since it began.

The National Guard’s emphasis on partnerships did not 

begin with the SPP. Our history as a state-controlled 

organization naturally led to partnerships with state and 

local agencies and their officials. Governors leverage our 

presence throughout the nation through multiagency 

integrated playbooks used for planning and responding 

to crises. They call the National Guard to augment their 

state and local emergency response to leverage military 

capabilities and skills gained from the warfight such as 

manpower, training, leadership, organization, logistics, and 

communications. We instinctively take a collaborative and 

multiagency approach to all emergencies based on our 

years of working with Governors and local community 

partners. We remain the states’ sole military force to 

respond to domestic incidents.. 

The National Guard is a community-based force where our 

members are an integral part of their local communities. 

Whether partnering with local chapters of Youth 

ChalleNGe where more than 170,000 at-risk teenagers 

have graduated, or assisting local responders after a heavy 

snowstorm, the National Guard reinforces the connection 

between the American people and their military. 

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REFORM THE DOD FOR GREATER PERFORMANCE AND AFFORDABILITY 

Business reform is mandated by the NDS. The National Guard helps DoD achieve 

greater performance and affordability by optimizing the inherent cost-savings of the 

National Guard and posturing our forces for predictable operational requirements. 

This directly supports the joint force in meeting global demands and preserves 

readiness in the active components.

Reforming for greater performance also includes properly organizing the National 

Guard to achieve mission objectives. The National Guard Bureau (NGB) is a DoD 

joint activity with statutes and policies codifying the roles and functions of our 

organization. Along with the Office of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, the 

NGB is comprised of the Army National Guard Directorate, the Air National Guard 

Directorate, and the NGB Joint Staff. The NGB operates as one entity supporting 

the 50 states, 3 territories and the District of Columbia to man, train, and equip 

National Guard forces to execute DoD missions worldwide. We strive to ensure 

unity of effort within our organization and efficiently use the resources entrusted 

to the National Guard. The NGB must continue its march towards reform and 

efficiencies. 

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Priority #1 Readiness

Priority #2 People

Priority #3 Innovation

CNGB’s 

THREE 

PRIORITIES

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The National Guard contributes to 

readiness recovery for the joint force 

by providing additional capacity through 

rotational forces. By deploying for known 

requirements, the National Guard 

enables the joint force to meet increasing 

global demands while reducing the strain 

on the active components. In FY18, our 

Soldiers and Airmen supported DoD 

missions spanning every Geographic 

Combatant Command and utilized some 

of the same skills helping communities 

throughout the nation in responding to 

emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, 

winter storms, a volcano, and wildfires. 

Priority #1 Readiness

I have laid out three priorities to accomplish the objectives of the NDS 

and our three core missions of warfight, homeland, and partnerships - 

provide ready forces to the President and our Governors, take care of 

and develop our people, and promote an innovative culture.

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The Army National Guard (ARNG) is 

committed to providing ready forces that are 

warfighting-capable and Governor-responsive. 

In providing ready forces for the Army and 

the joint force, the Army designates select 

ARNG formations as Focused Readiness 

Units that are available to rapidly deploy and 

conduct contingency operations. Additionally, 

four ARNG brigade combat teams and 

the units that support them will complete 

decisive-action training rotations at the 

Army’s premier combat training centers. 

These activities occur in parallel with 

deployments and exercises that our CitizenSoldiers participate in around the world. The 

ARNG’s primary focus in FY20 is to reverse 

shortfalls in recruiting as well as ensure 

appropriate levels of full-time support to 

achieve and maintain our readiness. 

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Executive 

Overview
The ANG is also committed to the readiness of the force, its 

21st century Guard Airmen, and building for tomorrow’s fight. 

The Air Guard provides the same levels of readiness and 

deployment timelines as the active duty. It exceeded its 

FY18 end strength goal of 106,600 with a continued focus 

on training and resourcing efforts that improve readiness 

and lethality. 

Looking to the future, the ANG must modernize 

and recapitalize its equipment concurrently and in 

a balanced manner commensurate with the active 

duty to ensure deployability, sustainability, and 

interoperability across all mission sets. The Air 

Guard remains focused on resourcing and training 

lethal, resilient Guard Airmen and developing 

exceptional leaders.

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Overview
There must be a balance between the needs of Guard members’ employers and 

the needs of the states and the nation. Striking the appropriate balance requires 

training that is predictable, when possible, and deployments that leverage this 

training and enhance national security. 

We have increased our recruiting efforts. The current economic environment 

requires competing against other market forces and remaining competitive through 

incentives in order to recruit the very best men and women. 

The National Guard fosters integrity, respect, and candor within its ranks by 

maintaining high standards of personal conduct and bearing. We will not tolerate 

those who choose to act with a lack of integrity and character, nor will we accept 

sexual assault, sexual harassment, discrimination, and any forms of communication 

that degrade or demoralize unit cohesion and readiness. We provide our utmost 

support and care to victims of these acts. 

We are emphasizing mental health and resiliency for our units as we strive to 

prevent suicides. Any Soldier or Airman who takes his or her own life is one too 

many. First-line supervisors, battle buddies and wingmen will receive the requisite 

training necessary to look out for fellow Soldiers and Airmen. 

We must also ensure our families are aware of family readiness programs, 

employment assistance programs, and where to turn when they need help. Our 

families faithfully commit to our nation and we must ensure we remain faithful to 

them.

Priority #2 People 

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Priority #3 

Innovation

The National Guard is a catalyst for DoD’s innovation initiatives. 

Whether looking at ways to save costs through greater utilization of 

untapped capacity in the National Guard, or reviewing ways to expand 

the competitive space and increase our advantages through our SPP, 

DoD has many options to use the Guard as “the innovative force” to 

help address today’s challenges. 

We have dedicated resources to ensure our culture is dynamic, and 

forward leaning by questioning existing processes and challenging the 

status quo. We have to educate and empower our Guardsmen and 

implement innovative measures.

Our National Guard Innovation Team (NGIT) is one vehicle we use to 

innovate. This team leverages the talent, experience, abilities, and insight 

of our traditional Guardsmen. This enables the Guard to integrate 

skill sets and join Guard members from unconnected fields that can 

sometimes lead to breakthroughs. This past year, the NGIT worked 

on issues related to communications, employer support, recruiting and 

retention, reform initiatives, and technology adaptation. The challenge 

ahead will be in the implementation of some very innovative ideas.

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Conclusion

The operational National Guard is an integral 

part of the joint force and plays an important 

role in every aspect of our national security 

and defense. I am proud of the CitizenSoldiers and Airmen who serve to protect 

our homeland and interests abroad. We face 

many challenges ahead, some in areas not 

seen before. However, I am confident we 

will confront these challenges as we always 

have – through the extraordinary talents and 

commitment of our Guardsmen and women. 

We remain...Always Ready, Always There!

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Army Guard 

SNAPSHOT

 335,500 Soldiers, 13 command & control 

headquarters, 8 divisions, 27 brigade 

combat teams, 42 multifunctional brigades, 

56 functional support brigades, 1 security 

force assistance brigade and 2 Special 

Forces groups 

 25,327 buildings, 1,399 firing ranges and 110 

training centers in 2,404 communities.

 Provides the Army 39% of its operational 

forces 

 More than 21,000 Soldiers from over 40 

states and territories deployed in support 

of overseas in FY18.

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Air Guard 

SNAPSHOT  107,100 Airmen across 90 wings

MANPOWER CONTRIBUTION 

TO FIVE CORE AREAS:  15% of Air, Space and Cyber Superiority  26% of Command and Control / Intelligence, 

Surveillance and Reconnaissance

 24% of Agile Combat Support  23% of Rapid Global Mobility  17% of Global Strike

1,058 AIR GUARD AIRCRAFT  Provides 37% of Air Force’s tanker capability  Provides 28% of Air Force’s fighter / attack capability  Provides 35% of Air Force’s airlift capability  Operates 15 of 16 Aerospace Control Alert sites  Provides 20% of Air Force’s overseas MQ-9 Reaper 

unmanned aerial vehicle capability

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Overview
FIGHTING 

AMERICA’s WARS

Providing the Army and 

Air Force a Lethal Force 

19
LETHAL FORCE

 Continuously engaged in countering violent extremist organizations, the National 

Guard has supported more than 1.1 million overseas deployments to Iraq, 

Afghanistan, Kuwait, the Balkans, Guantanamo Bay, the Sinai, and other locations 

since 9/11. 

 Guard Soldiers and Airmen served on every continent and in every Combatant 

Command in more than 70 countries last year. 

 Three of the eight Army Guard Division headquarters and one-third of its’ 

Brigade Combat Teams will deploy overseas this fiscal year. 

 More than 1,200 Guard Airmen from 48 units served in nine different locations 

while filling 33% of the Total Force’s civil engineer needs overseas last year. 

 The Air Guard is providing 25% of the Total Force’s Distributed Common 

Ground System (a system that produces military intelligence for multiple military 

branches) capacity in direct support of the overseas Combatant Commanders.

 Nearly 18,000 Guard Soldiers are forecast to deploy this fiscal year in support of 

missions in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Ukraine, Poland, Kosovo, 

Eastern Europe, the Horn of Africa, Central and South America, and the Sinai 

Peninsula.

 New York’s 42nd Infantry Division will provide command and control of all Army 

forces in Kuwait and Jordan in FY20 as part of Operation Spartan Shield.

 North Carolina’s 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team will provide a decisiveaction capability in support of Operation Spartan Shield in FY20 to deter 

aggression on the Arabian Peninsula.

 Illinois’ 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team will be only the second Army Guard 

brigade to lead a task force during the Pacific Pathways exercise. The 33rd will 

train with allies and partners across Australia, Japan, Indonesia and Hawaii as part 

of a large-scale combat operation.

 More than 40% of the Army Guard’s special operations forces will deploy 

overseas in FY20. The effort will involve more than 1,000 Special Forces soldiers 

from 18 states conducting operations in 40 countries. 

 The National Guard’s 34th and 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigades 

will deploy 4,130 aviation soldiers to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, 

the Horn of Africa, and Central / South America in support of Operation Spartan 

Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve in FY20. 

20

FIGHTING 

AMERICA’s 

WARS
SECURING the 

HOMELAND

Training and legal authorities enable an

unmatched and unified domestic response 

21
Unmatched Capabilities  Guard members live and serve in nearly every ZIP code. In a domestic 

emergency response, the equation is simple: Less time and distance equals 

more lives saved and property preserved. 

 National Guard forces logged more than 2.1 million man-days supporting state 

and federal homeland operations in FY18. 

 Guard forces were called up 195 times for state and federal missions in FY18.  The National Guard responded to 71 natural disasters in FY18, including 8 

hurricanes or tropical storms, 19 floods, 15 winter storms, 26 fires and 2 severe 

weather events. 

 Air Guard personnel protect the airspace over America by operating 15 of the 

16 NORAD Aerospace Control Alert sites and the Eastern and Western air 

defense sectors. Guard ACA pilots flew 1,750 sorties in FY18 -- 1,628 practice 

sorties and 122 real-world sorties.

 To allow effective communication between local, state and federal emergency 

agencies, National Guard Joint Incident Site Communications Capability teams 

set-up and operated a “self-contained communications package” at the Super 

Bowl and numerous other major events and exercises last year.

 Air Guard members performed 20,580 man-days of engineer, construction and 

medical missions as part of Innovative Readiness Training in FY18 providing 

critical services to underserved American communities while gaining real-world 

experience that prepares them for wartime missions. 

 The 57 full-time National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support 

Teams carried out 3,136 missions in FY18 ranging from no-notice call-outs to 

identify substances, to supporting national security events, to training with state 

partners. 

 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen comprise 55 percent of the Defense 

Department’s chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) response 

capability, to include 17 CBRN Enhanced Response Force Packages and 10 

regionally aligned Homeland Response Forces.

 Equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems, Air Guard C-130 crews 

flew 233 sorties and dropped more than 643,500 gallons of water and nearly 

3.8 million pounds of fire retardant on wildfires in FY18. 

22

SECURING the 

HOMELAND
BUILDING 

PARTNERSHIPS

FORGING PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS THAT DETER AGGRESSION,

SUPPORT STABILITY, AND FOSTER ECONOMIC GROWTH 

23
PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS

 The State Partnership Program (SPP) began with three Baltic 

nation partnerships in 1993. The National Guard is currently 

partnered with 83 nations.

 The National Guard has partnerships in all six geographic 

combatant commands and offers our nation a significant return on 

its DoD investment. 

 The National Guard’s commitment to “assure our allies and 

partners” has attracted new partnerships – Brazil, Burkina Faso, 

Fiji and Qatar joined the SPP last year.

 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen conducted more than 

950 SPP activities worldwide in support of Geographic 

Combatant Commands in FY18.

 At any given time, as many as 48 

SPP partner nations provide 

more than 35,000 personnel 

to United Nations 

peacekeeping operations 

worldwide. 

24

BUILDING 

PARTNERSHIPS

 Twenty-eight SPP partners have contributed forces to combat 

missions in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2003. 

 Thirteen SPP partner nations have become NATO members 

since joining SPP. 

 In the homeland, the National Guard partners with state 

emergency managers, FEMA and other federal, state, and 

local organizations to provide a unified, rapid 

response for homeland emergencies.
COUNTERDRUG 

PROGRAM  More than $11.2 billion of illicit drugs 

are off the streets thanks to the efforts 

of 2,950 mostly full-time National Guard 

Counterdrug specialists. 

 To combat the opiate epidemic, the National 

Guard assisted 564 state and local law 

enforcement agencies and 335 communitybased organizations.

 More than 59,500 members of law 

enforcement, community-based 

organizations and the military were trained 

at the National Guard’s five counterdrug 

schools, an increase of over 20% over last 

year. Approximately 6.4 percent (3,835) of 

the students were military.

 National Guard aviation crews flew more 

than 13,000 hours assisting law enforcement 

in conducting operations to detect, disrupt, 

interdict, and curtail drug-trafficking and 

associated criminal activities. Aviation 

efforts alone contributed to the seizure 

of more than $1.6 billion in illicit drugs, 

weapons, property and currency.

Helped Take 

$11.2 Billion 

of Illicit Drugs 

off the Streets

25

SECURING the 

HOMELAND
SOLDIERS, AIRMEN 

and FAMILIES

Providing programs that help ease the 

challenge military service places on Guard 

members and their families

26
Productive Programs 

 The National Guard Joint Service Support portal was 

accessed more than 1.4 million times in FY18, a 20% 

increase over last year. 

 The Army National Guard Family Assistance Centers 

addressed more than 1.6 million resource and 

referral inquires and outreach calls in FY18 at 400 

geographically dispersed National Guard armories 

and Reserve centers. The services most used were 

finance, ID Cards / DEERS and community outreach. 

 Air National Guard Airmen and Family Readiness 

Program Managers reached nearly 225,000 service 

members and their families in FY18 by assisting 

Airmen and families with adapting to the challenges 

associated with military life.

 Army National Guard Child and Youth Services 

conducted nearly 3,000 events for nearly 53,300 

Army Guard family members ages 6-18 in an effort 

to promote resilience and sustain the quality of life 

through high-quality support services and enrichment 

programs. 

 The Air National Guard Home Community Care 

Program is available at 68 Air National Guard wings 

with more than 180 providers offering free child care 

to Guard members on drill weekends.

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SOLDIERS, 

AIRMEN & 

FAMILIES
 The Army National Guard Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program conducted 530 events and 

helped nearly 67,651 Soldiers and their families connect with local community support services 

before, during, and after deployments in FY18. The Air National Guard program conducted 272 

events across 90 wings, providing service to 19,600 Airmen and their families.

 The Air National Guard’s Warrior and Survivor Care program coordinated needs-based 

assistance through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program for 144 Air National Guard 

wounded, ill and injured and their families in FY18. An average of 12 new Air National Guard 

members are enrolled in the program each month, for a total of 1,100 members enrolled. 

 Air National Guard Airmen and Family Readiness Program managers conducted 4,544 briefings 

and provided more than 18,500 counseling sessions at various family readiness workshops in 

FY18. Topics included financial readiness, transition, employment opportunities, social support 

groups and family life programs. 

 The NGB Employment Support Program reached 145,916 Guard members regarding job 

opportunities and provided assistance to 64,836 Guard members, their families, veterans and 

other reserve component members. The effort resulted in more than 6,300 job referrals and 

nearly 1,500 hires. Each state has a program support specialist.

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SOLDIERS, 

AIRMEN & 

FAMILIES
 Army Guard Unit Ministry Teams performed more than 

8,642 religious services for 90,297 Guard personnel last 

year. ARNG chaplains provided pastoral care for 1,508 

personnel contemplating suicide, visited 1,898 personnel in 

hospitals, conducted 314 weddings, referred 8,220 Guard 

personnel for additional support services and conducted 

912 moral and ethical leadership training sessions. ARNG 

ministry teams also conducted more than 1,285 military 

funerals and memorial services and supported 347 Strong 

Bonds events that impacted over 8,379 personnel and 

their families.

 The Air Guard’s Strong Bonds Program conducted 

276 events that taught 6,513 participants how to build 

relationships that assist their units in remaining spiritually 

healthy and mission-focused. 

 Transition Assistance Advisors impacted the lives of 

nearly 136,043 Service Members and veterans in FY18 by 

providing support, advocacy and information. Advisors are 

located at each National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters 

to provide resource and referral information for such 

issues as education, employment, VA healthcare enrollment, 

and disability claims. 

 The Army Guard provided $30.1 million in Federal Tuition 

Assistance benefits to more than 16,700 Soldiers enrolled 

in more than 47,000 courses in FY18.

 Army Guard Family Readiness Support assistants 

supported 3,321 Family Readiness Groups, providing 

orientation training for volunteers. More than 7,113 

registered volunteers worked 144,653 hours in support of 

Army Guard families.

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SOLDIERS, 

AIRMEN & 

FAMILIES
 The Army Guard’s Military Funeral Honors team 

rendered service at nearly 117,000 Service member 

funerals in FY18. The funeral honors team is 

projected to conduct over 115,000 requests to 

render burial honors for veterans and retirees in 

FY19.

 The Army Guard trained 737 Master Resilience 

Trainers last year bringing their total to nearly 

7,000. The program also conducted 14 executivelevel resilience courses and 22 deployment cycle 

resilience certifications to inform senior leaders of 

the program’s benefits. 

 National Guard behavioral health professionals 

assisted more than 141,000 service members during 

FY18. More than 73,000 personnel were assisted 

through group psycho-education and informational 

briefings. Psychological health professionals provided 

more than 40,000 consultations in FY18. 

 Army Guard Survivor Outreach Service coordinators 

assisted 46,794 surviving family members in FY18. 

 The Army Guard’s Citizen-Soldier-for-Life team 

provided more than 141,000 career readiness 

services, over 74,000 employment services and more 

than 34,000 financial readiness services to all 50 

states, 3 territories and the District of Columbia in 

its first year of existence. 

 The Army Guard’s casualty operations program 

provided 682 casualty assistance and notification 

officers to families of the Army National Guard, 

Reserve, and Active component in FY18.

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SOLDIERS, 

AIRMEN & 

FAMILIES
 In 2018, 9,871 student cadets graduated from the National 

Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe program. More than 173,000 

student cadets have graduated from the National Guard’s 

Youth ChalleNGe program since its inception in 1993. 

The 5-1/2 month, in-residence course takes at-risk 16- to 

18-year-olds and teaches them the life skills and selfdiscipline needed to succeed, while helping them to earn 

credits toward high school diplomas or prepare them for a 

GED.

 More than 90 percent of all 2018 ChalleNGe graduates 

earned their high school diploma (21%), GED (30%), or 

returned to high school (39%). 

 The National Guard Sexual Assault Prevention and 

Response Program provides training, services and advocacy 

to victims of sexual assault with its 99 full-time, nationally 

certified Sexual Assault Response Coordinators, as well 

as an additional 714 part-time, nationally certified Sexual 

Assault Response Coordinators and victim advocates. 

 The Army National Guard provides 54 Suicide Prevention 

Program managers, one to each state, territory, and the 

District of Columbia. These program managers oversee 

suicide prevention and intervention training, policy and 

reporting. They provided advanced training to 145,136 

Soldiers and family members in FY18.

 The Army Guard Substance Abuse Program contributes 

to an enhanced ready and resilient force by maintaining an 

illicit positive rate of 1.46 percent, a decrease of .14 percent 

from 2017. Commanders use drug testing as an effective 

deterrence tool in preventing 

illicit substance abuse as 

well as mitigating 

high-risk 

behaviors 

that can 

negatively 

impact 

personnel 

and unit 

readiness.

31

SOLDIERS, 

AIRMEN & 

FAMILIES
To SPACE and BEYOND

 WARFIGHT: Provides DoD contingency operations support; missile warning; reconnaissance; space and satellite control. 

 HOMELAND: Provides real-time satellite imagery for wildfires, floods, hurricane response efforts; airport security; cyber defense for critical infrastructure.

 PARTNERSHIPS: Bolstered space capabilities in four allied nations. 

 More than 1,240 Guard members from 16 units in 7 states (AR, AK, CA, CO, FL, NY and 

OH) are currently providing expertise to DoD leaders in support of space missions. 

 National Guard space operators working for DoD reported on 33 real-world missile 

events and conducted 5.2 million observations (tracking man-made objects orbiting the 

earth) last year.

 Guard members operate the only survivable and endurable missile warning and nuclear 

detection capability.

 The National Guard provides 40 percent of Air Force’s offensive space control 

deployable capabilities.

 National Guard soldiers and airmen represent 50 percent of the Reserve Component’s 

space capability.