(BOSTON 1/28/2022) Today, Senator John C. Velis and Representative Bruce J. Ayers hosted the first briefing for the National Guard Legislative Caucus after submitting paperwork to the Senate and House Clerks earlier this week to formally establish the caucus. Representative Ayers and Senator Velis stated that the aim of the caucus is to help advance the Guard’s legislative priorities and support their members.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a remarkable increase in activations and deployments for the National Guard. As a result, the Guard is the busiest it has been since World War II,” stated Senator Velis, who is also Chairman of the Joint Committee on Veterans & Federal Affairs and a Major in the US Army Reserves. “It is absolutely critical that we—as a Legislature—are doing everything we can to support the Guard as they continue to serve and support us.”
“I’m honored to be co-chairing the National Guard Caucus alongside my friend Senator Velis,” said Representative Ayers. “In times of challenge, Massachusetts has always been able to rely on the National Guard. They are an integral part of the communities that they serve, and have been involved with countless efforts in their hundreds of years of existence to improve the lives of their fellow residents. When they’re called upon, the Massachusetts National Guard has stepped up to help ensure the smooth operation of important initiatives, providing irreplaceable support during natural disasters, pivotal moments, global pandemics, and everything in between. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature on this bipartisan caucus to support the great work of the Massachusetts National Guard.”
Activations for the National Guard continue to grow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guardsmen have been deployed to assist state and local officials with COVID-19 testing and vaccines, school transportation, and other public safety efforts. Guardsmen were also activated and deployed to the Capitol in Washington D.C. in January of 2021. In total, the National Guard has activated 8,1888 members since the beginning of the pandemic.
“We truly appreciate the support to the Massachusetts National Guard from the State Legislature while they have performed missions federally and across the Commonwealth. This has been an unprecedented time for us all, this includes the Massachusetts National Guard,” stated Colonel Jason Oberton, Director of Strategic Plans and Policy in the Office of the Adjutant General. “Since we were first called out in March of 2020, the Massachusetts National Guard has activated over 8,188 Service Members supporting many types of missions. Service Members from across all communities in the Commonwealth have stepped up and volunteered to support their neighbors, their communities, and the Commonwealth. It is what they have signed up to do, and your support through your legislative efforts provides them benefits to support their family, their careers, and their retention in the Nation’s First.”
“As a first time Representative I am honored to be a part of the Massachusetts Legislative National Guard Caucus,” stated Representative Meghan Kilcoyne. “For the last ten years I had the opportunity to work with the National Guard on a number of issues. The pandemic has called on the National Guard to fill in at local hospitals, vaccine clinics, prisons, and many other efforts to protect the people of the Commonwealth, and it is my hope that this caucus can better assist the men and women of the National Guard.”
The Legislators noted that Guard faces their own distinct challenges and circumstances and stressed that it is important for the Legislature to take that into account.
“A lot of times, people conflate the National Guard with active-duty military members or Veterans. There is this idea that when we pass legislation for one of these groups, it applies to the Guard as well, but that isn’t always the case,” stated Senator Velis. “It is my hope that this caucus will help the Legislature better understand the Guard’s unique issues so that we can work to support them.”
The virtual briefing today focused on the current status and initiatives of the Guard, as well as priority legislation. Over 30 legislative offices joined the briefing and participated. Representative Ayers and Senator Velis stated that all legislators are welcome to join the caucus and they hope to hold similar future briefings in-person at National Guard installations across the Commonwealth.
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