Wyoming National Guard seeks more troops; committee backs referral and reenlistment incentive bills

Major General Greg Porter, adjutant general for the state of Wyoming, told the Joint Military Committee on Aug. 18 that the Wyoming National Guard faces near-term readiness and manpower pressures as deployments continue and the guard responds to new federal requests for support.

The committee voted to sponsor two bill drafts from the military department: 26LSO30, expanding and increasing the Guard member referral incentive; and 26LSO31, creating a Wyoming National Guard reenlistment/extension bonus program with a $1,000 referral bonus appropriation and a $1,000,000 reenlistment appropriation as proposed (and subsequently adjusted in committee debate). Both measures passed committee sponsorship votes after amendments and debate.

Porter opened the update by introducing his staff and emphasizing national trends he said affect Wyoming: an administration draft of a national defense strategy and foreign military modernization that he said change the urgency for domestic readiness. He also summarized personnel effects of recent and planned deployments including Guard support to immigration enforcement (about 15 personnel for logistics and transport tasks under Title 32) and upcoming National Guard deployments of the 150th Airlift Wing and other…