Photo By Master Sgt. Christopher Milbrodt | Maj. Gen. John D. Haas, Adjutant General of Florida and commander of the Florida...... read more read more
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Local, state and federal representatives for Florida converged at the Jacksonville Air National Guard Base, home of the 125th Fighter Wing, for a first-of-its-kind meeting to discuss how to enact growth for the Florida National Guard (FLNG) Aug. 15, 2025. Growing the force is the top priority for the FLNG, as it currently ranks 53rd out of 54 states and territories in terms of Guardsmen-to-citizen ratio.
“We have never had a meeting like this where we have county commissioners, state representatives, federal congressmen, veteran’s affairs and even the Lieutenant Governor in the room at the same time to discuss this issue,” said Col. Jason Hunt, FLNG director of external affairs and commander, 83rd Troop Command. “Our opportunity for growth has never been better than now, because the Army and Air Force are restructuring what unit composition looks like. We need to capitalize on that and get our troop-to-citizen ratio more in line to better assist Floridians.”
Currently, the FLNG is capped at 12,000 Soldiers and Airmen to meet its federal combatant command obligations as well as support the more than 23 million citizens of Florida during disaster operations. As one of the most disaster-prone states, the FLNG is routinely called upon to assist local officials with rescue, security and rebuilding operations, as well as numerous other needs to support the state.
“Since COVID, Florida National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have conducted over 3.3 million work days in support of state emergency operations,” Hunt said. “That’s over three times as many work days in the 28 years prior to COVID.”
The FLNG’s force cap is based upon 1958 population models, when there were fewer than 5 million citizens in the state. Since then, Florida’s population has grown by more than 400%, and the state now has the fastest growing population in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.
With that population growth comes an increase in mission requirements, and a heavier operational load for the FLNG. Currently, the average FLNG member serves 106 days a year, nearly three times the 39 days that are statutorily required for Guardsmen.
“If anyone looks at the population numbers in Florida and the ops tempo of our National Guard, there’s no comparison anywhere,” said Congressman John Rutherford, the representative from Florida’s 5th congressional district. “That’s why we have to do whatever is required to get the positions our state needs. We can’t ask our Florida Guardsmen to fight with one hand tied behind their backs.”
According to Maj. Gen. John Haas, the Adjutant General of Florida and commander of the FLNG, Florida is ready and eager to grow the footprint of its Guard.
“Our Soldiers and Airmen are here because they love what we do. They support our federal obligations, but they truly love our state mission,” said Haas. “We have a recruitable population base that is larger than 28 states, and our propensity to serve is unlike any other state. We can fill the ranks if we receive the authorization.”
Florida Senator Tom Wright echoed this sentiment.
“We have 12,000 fantastic men and women serving the state in our Florida National Guard now, but we also have lots more people who would love to serve alongside them, so we’ve got to figure out how to get more slots for our Guard,” Wright said. “We know the needs of our state will only continue to grow, and I don’t want to be the guy sitting in front of his constituents answering for why we didn’t do everything we could to get more Guardsmen for Florida.”
According to the National Guard Bureau’s (NGB) own 2021 study on “Impact of U.S. Population Trends on National Guard Force Structure,” strategic investments in recruiters, incentives and force structure realignment are essential. Force structure stationing and realignment need to adapt to demographics and population trends to sustain recruitment, retention and readiness.
Haas said that a primary concern of having an undersized force is the possibility that the FLNG will not have the number of Soldiers and Airmen required to protect Florida citizens when they’re needed most. He went on to explain that while help from other states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is extremely helpful during disasters, he believes the best way to support Floridians during times of need is with Soldiers and Airmen from their own communities.
“Put simply, the best people to serve the citizens of Florida are Florida Guardsmen,” Haas said. “The FLNG has set the standard for disaster response with far less troops and equipment than are actually needed to support our citizens. Imagine the impact we can have with a force that better matches our population size.”
Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins agreed, and said he would love to see the Florida National Guard more appropriately apportioned based on actual current population.
“I’ve seen what the Florida National Guard can do, and it’s amazing,” said Collins. “But the world is a difficult place, and it’s only getting more and more complex. We know we are going to continue to call upon the Florida National Guard, and what we ask of them is very real. So we’re not going to be afraid to take big swings or do what has to be done to solve these problems, because we have to take care of our Guardsmen so that they can take care of us.”
| Date Taken: | 08.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.16.2025 09:19 |
| Story ID: | 545794 |
| Location: | FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 70 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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