Connecticut Military Department warns federal orders and staffing gaps risk readiness; governor's guard debate continues

The Connecticut Military Department told the General Assembly—s Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 that federal executive orders and long-standing staffing shortfalls are creating near-term readiness and operational challenges for the state—s Guard.

The Adjutant General (name not specified), testifying with legislative liaison Tucker Salls, said "we have about 600 title federal technicians, GS-level technicians" whose employment status and telework rules are being affected by recent executive actions and guidance from the National Guard Bureau and other federal offices. He said the department has issued an order requiring some technicians to return from telework and is working through an exemption process with the National Guard Bureau, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget.

"We were probably at about 50%" of required personnel on a typical day, the Adjutant General said, adding that the department is "always ready and always there." He said the department is seeking federal clarification and pushing at the national level to exempt dual-status uniformed technicians and to preserve Title 5 civilian positions where possible.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed the department for details because many Guard duties require personnel to be mission-ready on short notice. Lawmakers said unclear notice and short timelines for actions such as early-retirement offers could harm retention and give members insufficient information about trade-offs with other benefits.

Key staffing and program details

- Federal technicians and telework: The Adjutant General said technicians have received automated messages instructing them either to accept early-out offers or to return to work. He said the department has advised caution because employees nearing retirement may be risking other benefits if they respond quickly to short messages. The department has not yet received a consolidated roll-up from National Guard Bureau on how many individuals have opted in.

- Manpower level: The department reported it is roughly 49% manned on the federal side for requirement levels cited nationally. The adjutant general warned that there is "not a lot of slim fat to trim" because the Guard operates at about half of its ideal staffing on many days.

- Medical contractor and mobilization readiness: Committee members raised reports that some medical contractor services at a Department of Defense sub-base had ended Jan. 31. The Adjutant General said he observed ongoing dental and other pre-deployment medical processing at a readiness trailer and that, to his knowledge, the contract in use for his units had not been disrupted. He said the department will follow up to confirm.

- Recruitment referral program: The department reported recruitment success from the referral program funded by the legislature in 2023. The Adjutant General said the program has produced 11 enlistments to date and is drawing down a $169,000 appropriation. He said the department plans to keep the program but may cover any shortfall by reallocating within its flat proposed budget.

Governor's horse and foot guards

Committee members spent extended time on the governor's horse and foot guards, discussing costs and possible privatization.

- Costs and funding: The Adjutant General said the four units (two horse guard units and two foot guard units) cost roughly $1 million in direct and indirect state support. He described the two foot guard units as relatively inexpensive and housed in state armories. He said the two horse guard units have larger direct costs: about $300,000 apiece in direct costs, and each receives roughly $50,000 a year in lease revenue, leaving a net state-supported cost in the low hundreds of thousands.

- Privatization and statutory options: The department said privatization has been proposed and that, under some statutory options (including Title 27 references), consolidation or other changes are possible. The Adjutant General said he would draw a red line against transferring the governor's guard to another agency without adequate protections because that would "cast the problem along" instead of solving it. Several lawmakers urged caution, saying privatization efforts elsewhere in state history had not always maintained services.

Facilities, armories and maintenance

Lawmakers raised multiple maintenance problems at armories used by reserve and Guard units, including Danbury, Middletown and West Hartford. The Adjutant General said many reserve-owned facilities lack adequate operations and maintenance budgets and that some of the newest armories have plumbing and bathroom problems. He said the state—s contracting and maintenance processes that flow through regional commands sometimes slow repairs and that state-owned armories the Guard controls receive faster attention.

Bonding and capital requests

The department confirmed it has bonding requests for medical and readiness processing facilities, including a Readiness Processing (SRP) building and other medical facility repairs. The Adjutant General asked lawmakers to consider those requests to preserve mobilization readiness.

What lawmakers asked the department to provide

Committee members asked for: (1) copies of any federal guidance or letters that exempt uniformed dual-status technicians from early-out or return-to-office requirements; (2) confirmation on medical contract status where volunteers reported contractor terminations; and (3) a detailed breakdown of the governor's guard costs and where those sums appear in the budget.

No formal committee action or vote occurred during the presentation. The department said it would return the requested cost information and documentation to the subcommittee.

Ending

The Adjutant General thanked the committee for its time and said the department will continue to press federal partners for clarity while seeking internal efficiencies to cover selected program costs within a largely flat biennial budget.