Governor Abbott Meets With National Commission On The Future Of The Army
Governor Greg Abbott today sent a letter and met with the National Commission on the Future of the Army to express his support for both the citizen-soldiers of the Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG) and the active duty Army troops who call Texas home.
“The TXARNG has a proven track record of providing cost-effective, highly capable combat reserve forces whenever called upon for the national security of America,” Governor Abbott writes in the letter. “Texas has invested nearly $2 billion since 2005 in roads and infrastructure to aid in the deployment of soldiers and supplies and improve access to our installations. The Governor’s Texas Military Preparedness Commission has awarded over $32 million in grants directly to military communities for infrastructure projects, and the state legislature recently allocated $30 million more for these grants over the next two years. The community support for troops stationed in Texas is unrivaled by any other state. Low costs of living, affordable off-base housing, and state-funded support to military families and retirees make Texas the gold standard in supporting our nation’s warfighters; active, guard and reserve. I encourage you to closely consider these factors as the Commission develops its recommendations on the future of the Army.”
The National Commission on the Future of the Army was created by Congress as part of last year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to study the force structure, force size, and missions of the Army. The creation of the Commission came after a public disagreement between the active component of the Army and the Army National Guard over end-strength numbers and whether AH-64 Apache helicopters should remain in the Guard. The creation of the Commission was strongly urged by the National Guard Assn of the U.S. (NGAUS) and by Governors across the country.