Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll joined Massachusetts National Guard leaders on Dec. 13 at the State House to administer officer commissions, present awards and mark the Guard’s 388th birthday.

At Memorial Hall, Healey administered the state commission oath to a long list of newly commissioned officers and emphasized the Guard’s dual state and federal role. The governor said the Commonwealth “owns the true birthday” of the National Guard and praised members for domestic and overseas service, noting units that have recently returned from extended deployments.

Healey used the occasion to highlight a legislative tax incentive passed this fall: “We want every employer to understand that having a member of the Guard on your team is a major asset,” she said, referring to a $2,000 state tax credit for each Massachusetts business that hires an active Guard member. The governor thanked veterans, military families and legislators who supported the measure.

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll reflected on the Guard’s local traditions and community role, citing the annual Salem muster and the families who support service members. “I wanna wish the National Guard a very happy 388 birthday,” Driscoll said, offering thanks to service members and their families.

The adjutant general addressed force structure and the Guard’s missions, thanking state partners and emphasizing both the homeland and federal responsibilities the Guard fulfills. He urged attendees to support recruitment efforts, saying plainly, “We need you,” in appealing for more enlistments.

Ceremony elements included the presentation of colors, an invocation, the historian’s remarks about the Guard’s origins in the 17th century, and the formal listing of officers called to receive state commissions. After the oath, leaders presented the Governor’s 20 marksmanship awards and Massachusetts commendation medals.

Staff Sergeant Justin Wilcox received the Massachusetts Commendation Medal with a heroism device for rendering life-saving aid and performing CPR on an unresponsive individual on Aug. 26, 2024; organizers credited Wilcox’s actions with saving the veteran’s life. Officials also recognized winners of the 2024 Massachusetts National Guard Best Warrior competition and other noncommissioned officer and soldier/airman awards.

The program closed with a ceremonial cake cutting by the Guard’s youngest and oldest currently serving members and an invitation to a reception in Nurses’ Hall.

The ceremony emphasized history, community ties, recent operational deployments and a new state incentive aimed at encouraging employers to hire Guard members. No formal policymaking or votes occurred during the event.