FRANKFORT, Ky. –
2021 has been another record year for the Kentucky National Guard. Our citizen-Soldiers and Airmen have worked tirelessly to provide much needed support to both our commonwealth and our nation. We've been utilized more
over the last 24 months than we have in the last ten years and we continue to answer the call.
More than 75,000 days have been worked in support of the COVID-19
Coronavirus this year, from our hospital augmentation missions to our mobile
vaccination teams and the ongoing support to our food pantries. The pandemic
continues to rear its ugly head and we'll continue to throw everything we've
got at it to help protect our fellow Kentuckians.
The Guard has also been called on for the winter storms in February, the
flood response in March, the Presidential Inauguration, Hurricane Ida and,
most recently, the devastating tornadoes in Western Kentucky totaling
approximately 20,000 total days of work.
Even with the tempo of our ongoing domestic operations, we continue to
deploy Soldiers and Airmen both stateside and overseas as part of our
federal mission. Across 2021, we've mobilized 450 Guardsmen to go to the
Southwest Border, Kosovo, Romania and the Horn of Africa.
Additionally, we've met all of our recruiting goals and accessed more
officers and warrant officers this year than we ever have previously. We
attribute this to the way we continue to take care of our own and the
incredible benefits that our service members get for being a part of our
organization.
All of this support comes from a part-time force that has to leave their
regular employer and their families to accomplish this mission. Our
employer's support to the Guard and Reserve cannot be overstated. Without
their understanding, we couldn't provide the capabilities we do. When a
Guardsman shows up to a tornado-ravaged town within 24 hours to help our
neighbors, it comes at a cost. It's worth it and it's what we do, but more
than just the state of Kentucky ends up paying the bill sometimes. We're
grateful for that continued support.
Economically, the Guard continues to be a boom for the state as well. The
Kentucky Guard's force of nearly 8,000 members brought in $87 million
dollars in pay and benefits from the federal government and more than $26
million in federal and state construction dollars this year. From both
federal and state spending combined, the total is more than $375 million.
Impressively, more than 10% of our force also lives outside the
commonwealth, encompassing 39 states and territories and two countries
outside of the United States, with service members who travel here to serve.
The Kentucky National Guard continues our legacy as Kentucky's home team and
will answer when called upon. We're always ready and always there.
Fight as Kentuckians,
-Maj. Gen. Haldane Lamberton
Adjutant General of Kentucky