Major General Michael Bernardi, the adjutant general of the Kansas National Guard, told a joint session of the Kansas Legislature that the Guard is expanding operational deployments, modernizing facilities and increasing family and education programs while seeking new federal capabilities for units based in Kansas.

Bernardi said the Kansas National Guard "comprises over 7,000 soldiers, airmen, and civilians," outlined the Guard's domestic and overseas missions in 2024 and cited partnerships with Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth and McConnell Air Force Base. He described an annual economic impact for the state he estimated at more than $5,200,000,000 and said nearly 1,200 service members were mobilized for federal missions last year.

The address summarized how Kansas Guard units participated in missions ranging from Operation Inherent Resolve in the Middle East to homeland responses inside Kansas. Bernardi highlighted the state's 35th Infantry Division, aviation and refueling wings, and specialized units, and he described training and international ties under the State Partnership Program with Armenia.

Bernardi said Fort Leavenworth is investing in base housing and a child development center, providing capacity for more than 300 children, and described federally funded construction projects including a new joint force headquarters at Forbes Field and a new Kansas Division of Emergency Management headquarters funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars. He also said Kansas is competing for a KC-46 Pegasus air refueling mission for the 190th Air Refueling Wing, and that site visitors will review Forbes Field in March.

On domestic support missions, Bernardi described wildfire water drops by Black Hawk helicopters in multiple counties, cybersecurity support to the judicial branch, counterdrug analytical assistance to local and federal agencies, and civil support team responses at large public events. He said the Guard maintains 38 armories and multiple maintenance shops across Kansas and is modernizing armories in Kansas City and building a new armory in Hays funded by state legislation.

Bernardi discussed recruiting and retention gains, saying "we have 100 more people in our formations than we did a year ago," and highlighted education programs including STARBASE. He said Kansas' STARBASE program receives about $2,700,000 in federal funding annually, has five primary sites and served more than 14,000 schoolchildren last year. He also described the EMERGE Act, which expanded certain National Guard scholarships to include master’s degrees.

Bernardi reviewed personnel and capability requests he said the Guard is pursuing with the federal government: equipping the 35th Infantry Division with unmanned systems and supporting the 190th Air Refueling Wing's potential transition from KC-135 Stratotankers to KC-46 aircraft. He framed those requests as steps to bring National Guard divisions and wings closer to parity with active-duty counterparts.

The address was informational; no policy votes were taken on Bernardi's requests during the session. A procedural motion to recess was made and carried at the conclusion of the remarks.

Major General Bernardi closed by thanking the governor and legislative leadership for support and by noting the Guard's dual state and federal role: "The National Guard is a unique military component with both a state and federal mission," he said, emphasizing readiness for disaster response and overseas operations.