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Mississippi National Guard seeks recruitment incentives, armory repairs in $22M budget ask
Summary
The Mississippi Military Department presented a budget request that includes funding for armory maintenance, a youth challenge facility, a state active duty reserve, and proposed recruitment and retention incentives—the "Strong Act"—centered on TRICARE coverage, a car tag credit and an expanded state tax exclusion.
General Ginn, speaking for the Mississippi Military Department, told the Appropriations Subcommittee the department's general-purpose state budget request totals roughly $10.3 million for operations and that the department's full package (including other lines and requests) would bring the total to roughly $22.1 million in state asks. Ginn described the department's federal funding for 2025 at roughly $636 million.
Ginn detailed several line items the department requested in the state budget: a support line of about $7.1 million, $2.4 million for the Youth Challenge Program, $775,000 for the Armed Forces Museum, $6 million for maintenance and repair of readiness centers (armories), and $500,000 suggested for a state active duty fund intended to let the department pre-position equipment and supplies ahead of catastrophic events.
Ginn said federal funds will cover most of the rebuilding cost for the Amory armory destroyed by a tornado; the department is asking for $6,000,000 in state funds to complete the $24,000,000 project because it has about $18,000,000 secured from federal sources.
Recruiting and retention: the department proposed a three-part incentive package labeled the "Strong Act," which Ginn and department staff said is intended to reduce a current shortfall of about 2,000 Guardsmen. Components described in the hearing included provision of TRICARE Reserve Select coverage for Guardsmen who need it; a $500 state car tag credit for all Guardsmen; and raising the state income tax exclusion for Guardsmen from $15,000 to $25,000. Ginn said the department had run cost estimates during the hearing: he stated the annual cost to provide health coverage would be about $14,300,000 (approximate), a car-tag program would be about $5,300,000 and the tax exclusion change about $1,700,000. The department described the combined incentive package figure in testimony as about $16,100,000; committee members and staff asked clarifying questions about the math and scope during the hearing.
Ginn said the department sees the TRICARE subsidy as the single most effective recruiting and retention lever: "Subsidizing that. That's ... Without a doubt," he said in response to a committee question about which piece would "move the needle." (Representative Bubba Carpenter, who later identified himself as the Strong Act sponsor, attended the hearing.)
Other items: Ginn reiterated the department's request for $5,000,000 this year to finish improvements at the Youth Challenge Academy at Camp Shelby (the department said prior appropriations covered roughly half the needed upgrades), and he reviewed the armory construction schedule for projects already funded (Southaven/DeSoto ground-breaking targeted for March; other add‑on projects expected later in the year).
Ginn warned that sustained shortfalls could jeopardize force structure and local jobs: he said some units — including M1 tank crews—are currently understaffed because of personnel shortages, and losing force structure would mean moving equipment and associated state jobs elsewhere.
No formal votes were recorded during this presentation; the department presented budget lines and legislative incentive proposals for committee consideration.
