Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robin Stilwell, the adjutant general of South Carolina, joined by...... read more read more
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina National Guard’s top officer joined other military commanders from across the state to brief the governor on military issues.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robin Stilwell, the adjutant general of South Carolina, joined by U.S. Air Force Col. Shawn Bowes, McEntire Joint National Guard Base commander, attended the annual Commanders Brief hosted by the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs at the Pastides Alumni Center in Columbia, Oct. 2.
Military commanders from South Carolina’s eight military installations and Fort Gordon, Ga., provided Governor Henry McMaster updates on critical issues affecting military families and operations. Topics of discussion included housing challenges, access to quality childcare and education, and the impact of traffic congestion near military installations. Additionally, Commanders provided updates on energy resilience initiatives and expressed concerns about the use of unmanned aircraft systems near military installations. The briefing provided information on ways the state can assist Commanders with mission readiness and quality of life issues for service members and their families, and to ensure South Carolina remains an indispensable component of national defense.
South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Todd McCaffrey stated that South Carolina is a state that has experienced growth in military missions and holds a significant place in national security.
“We want to support you and your families in any way we can,” McCaffrey told the assembled commanders. “
South Carolina bills itself as a military-friendly state for both current service members and veterans. The state does not tax retirement income for veterans and offers several benefits to service-disabled veterans. Statewide, the military has a direct economic impact of $34.4 billion.
“What you do is vital to the economy of South Carolina and national security,” said Governor McMaster.
The Governor added his office is there to “Coordinate, Collaborate and Communicate” with the military installations and commanders.
“We want to do more. Please let us know what we can do,” McMaster said.
Stilwell provided an update on the South Carolina National Guard and South Carolina Military Department’s operations and recruiting success.
“We are in a very healthy position today,” Stilwell said. “We, like all organizations in the room, Governor and Mister Speaker, are busy.”
The South Carolina National Guard is meeting its recruiting goals. The Army National Guard recruiters met 118 percent of their recruiting goal last year, and the Air National Guard met 185 percent of their recruiting goals.
Stilwell highlighted recent and upcoming deployments. Currently, the South Carolina Army National Guard has Soldiers supporting Immigration Customs Enforcement, as well as security missions in Washington, D.C., along the Southern border. Recently, military police returned from overseas in Poland, and engineers will deploy later this year to the Central Command Area of Responsibility.
“As we ramp up into FY 27, which we will be training for vigorously in 26, we should see a surge of approximately 1,200 Soldiers and Airmen that will be deployed abroad or CONUS defending our liberties around the world.”
Members of the South Carolina General Assembly, the Military Affairs Advisory Council, and state agency heads also attended the event.
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.02.2025 22:22 |
| Story ID: | 549891 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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