Defense staff members representing Connecticut’s congressional delegation visited Connecticut National Guard facilities and Sikorsky Headquarters on August 25-26, 2026. The purpose of the visit was for the delegation to gain insight into the missions, capabilities and resources required to maintain the readiness and mission sets of the Connecticut National Guard.
The two-day visit brought staff representing the offices of U.S. Senators Chris Murphy, Richard Blumenthal and members of Connecticut's congressional delegation together with Connecticut Air National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and senior leaders, including Maj. Gen Francis J. Evon Jr., the Adjutant General of the Connecticut National Guard and Brig. Gen. Thomas G. Olander Jr., Connecticut Air National Guard chief of staff.
During the visit, the delegation toured several Connecticut National Guard Aviation facilities as well as industry defense partner facilities including the 1109th Aviation Classification and Repair Depot in Groton, Windsor Locks Readiness Center, Sikorsky Headquarters in Stratford and Bradley Air National Guard Base in East Granby
The tour began as a National Guard Bureau-led trip, but Connecticut National Guard leadership saw it as an opportunity to grow it into something more.
“It started at the National Guard Bureau level looking at the defense industrial base, and we took that opportunity and transformed it into a broader Connecticut National Guard tour and learning opportunity for the staff.” said Tucker Salls, the Connecticut Military Department legislative and communications programs manager
Aside from the capability and facility demonstrations and tours, the staffers were also given a realistic look into Connecticut’s current missions
“A lot of people sometimes think the National Guard is just one weekend a month and that we only operate in times of great emergency,” Salls said. “I think they really came away from the whole thing understanding that we are, day-to-day, every single day, doing a federal mission.”
An example of this is the 1109th AVCRAD and how they not only repair helicopters domestic to Connecticut but they also support maintenance and repairs on aviation assets from across the country. The AVCRAD is employed with full-time staff and the unit is capable of conducting the highest level of maintenance and repairing aircrafts to factory standards.
The Connecticut National Guard is responsible for supporting federal and state missions, by providing and deploying units for domestic and overseas missions. Bringing defense staff to tour Connecticut facilities gave decision makers a better look at how the Connecticut National Guard maintains readiness, consistently deploys, builds relationships with local industry partners and what is required to sustain and expand these capabilities.
“We’re not just doing that one weekend a month,” said Salls. “We have an active, continuous role within U.S. military operations.