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Maryland Military Department seeks steady funding for Free State Challenge and flags vacancy issues
Summary
The Military Department told the subcommittee its FY26 allowance is essentially flat and emphasized investments in the Free State Challenge Academy, vacancy concerns and the 'Health Care for Heroes' enrollment. Analysts recommended deleting a handful of long‑term vacant positions and asked for reports on vacancies and FCA renovations.
The Maryland Military Department presented a modestly increased fiscal 2026 allowance to the Public Safety and Administration Subcommittee and highlighted the Free State Challenge Academy (FCA), vacancies and a new health benefit for National Guard members.
Yashoda Arai, a Department of Legislative Services analyst, said the Military Department’s FY26 budget increases by about $1.8 million after two proposed FY25 deficiency adjustments and a total FY26 allowance of roughly $45.5 million. Arai said personnel expenses account for roughly 54% of the department’s budget and that DLS recommended deleting five long‑term vacant positions to reduce general fund and federal fund spending.
Arai told the panel that vacancy trends have risen and that, as of…
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