Opinion ID: 1379180
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether Bowen Is a State Employee and Whether He Is Entitled to the Protections of the Alaska Personnel Act

Text: Bowen, a staff judge advocate serving in the AGR program, was a state employee and a member of the Alaska National Guard subject to state National Guard statutes and regulations. See U.S. ex rel. Karr v. Castle, 746 F. Supp. 1231, 1237 (D.Del. 1990), withdrawn in part, 768 F. Supp. 1087 (D.Del. 1991), aff'd sub nom. U.S. v. Carper, 22 F.3d 303 (3d Cir.1994) (The intent of Congress was, and is, that National Guard personnel serving in the `Full-Time Manning Program' now included in a DOD program called Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) serve under 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) in conventional National Guard status, i.e., under State control as opposed to service in the active military service of the United States in Reserves of the Army or Reserves of the Air Force status.) (quoting H.R.Rep. No. 943, 97th Cong., 2d Sess. 31 (1982)). As the Supreme Court observed in Maryland v. United States, 381 U.S. 41, 48, 85 S.Ct. 1293, 1298, 14 L.Ed.2d 205 (1965), remanded on other grounds, 382 U.S. 159, 86 S.Ct. 305, 15 L.Ed.2d 227 (1965): It is not argued here that military members of the Guard are federal employees, even though they are paid with federal funds and must conform to strict federal requirements in order to satisfy training and promotion standards. Their appointment by state authorities and the immediate control exercised over them by the States make it apparent that military members of the Guard are employees of the States, and so the courts of appeals have uniformly held. (Emphasis added.) The determination that Bowen is a state employee does not end the inquiry, however. Alaska Statute 26.05.060 specifies what statutes and regulations apply to members of the Alaska National Guard: The governor as ex officio commander of the militia of the state has command of the Alaska National Guard and the Alaska Naval Militia while they are not in active federal service. The governor may adopt necessary regulations for them not inconsistent with 48 U.S.C. § 473-479. Except as otherwise prescribed by those sections, the Alaska National Guard and the Alaska Naval Militia and their members are subject to all federal laws and regulations relating to the National Guard and Naval Militia of the several states and the territories and of the United States. See also AS 26.05.340. [17] Although it has had the power to do so, Alaska has not adopted any regulations concerning the organization, administration or management of state National Guard personnel. Air National Guard Regulation 35-03 prescribes policy and procedures for administering and managing full-time National Guard personnel serving in the full-time military duty program under 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) that were in effect during Bowen's tour of duty. [18] ANGR 35-03, Chap. 1, sec. 1-1. Chapter 6, section 6-5d of ANGR 35-03 sets forth the procedure for involuntary termination. That section contains no provision for a pretermination hearing. Alaska Statutes 26.05.060 and 26.05.340 specifically provide that Alaska National Guard personnel are subject to the federal laws and regulations relating to the National Guard and any supplemental regulations adopted by the Alaska Adjutant General and approved by the Governor. No such regulations have been adopted. Because no statute or regulation has been adopted which applies the Alaska Personnel Act to termination of a member of the state National Guard, the hearing protections set forth in the Alaska Personnel Act do not apply to Alaska National Guard personnel. We further hold that ANGR 35-03, Chapter 6, Paragraph 6-5a, does not mandate that Bowen's involuntary separation comport with all aspects of Alaska state law. The regulation states only that the state Adjutant General [must] determine[] that all applicable laws and regulations have been complied with. (Emphasis added.) By virtue of the failure of the state to adopt regulations which would apply the Alaska Personnel Act to military personnel, as it might have done under AS 26.05.060 and AS 26.05.340 but did not do, we conclude that the personnel act is not applicable to Bowen. Finally, we disagree with Bowen's contention that the failure to list military employees in AS 39.25.110's list of state employees who are exempt from the personnel act means that the act applies to Bowen. The statute is not an exhaustive list of exempt employees. The statute provides in relevant part: Unless otherwise provided by law, the following positions in the state service constitute the exempt service and are exempt from the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted under it.... Thus, exempt status may be derived from provisions of law other than AS 39.25.110. Because the Alaska legislature adopted federal personnel rules and regulations regarding promotion and separation in the Alaska National Guard, it otherwise provided by law that Alaska National Guard members were exempt, and thus excluded from the provisions of the Alaska Personnel Act. We conclude that in the absence of any supplementary regulation pursuant to AS 26.05.060 or AS 26.05.340, the state has adopted federal law and regulation, specifically ANGR 35-03, as setting forth the policies to be followed for administering and managing full-time National Guard personnel. Therefore, we hold that the language of ANGR 35-03, Chapter 6, Paragraph 6-5a, does not cause the Alaska Personnel Act to be applicable to National Guard personnel. We therefore affirm the holding of the superior court that Bowen is not entitled to the protections of the Alaska Personnel Act.