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Crist Holds Call With National Guard Chief

Press Release

Date: Feb. 18, 2022
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Military Personnel

U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) released the following statement after holding a call with General Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau (NGB), to discuss the status of Florida National Guard troops stationed in Europe and the National Guard's funding priorities for Fiscal Year 2023. As head of the NGB, General Hokanson oversees personnel decisions for each state's National Guard, including allocating personnel and resources to the states and ensuring Guard members are trained, equipped, and ready to carry out their missions.

"As a Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I was pleased to speak with General Hokanson regarding Florida's National Guard troops, some of whom, including those from Pinellas Park right here in my district, were stationed in Ukraine this fall and now are thankfully out of harm's way in Germany," said Rep. Crist. "We further discussed the vital role that the National Guard plays in the Sunshine State, especially during hurricane season. While the Florida Guard is invaluable, they simply do not have the numbers and resources to fully protect our communities when disaster strikes. I remain committed to strengthening the Florida National Guard and working to provide the funding they need to keep our state safe."

On February 15, 2022, Crist led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to General Hokanson, expressing concern over the current resource imbalance for the Florida National Guard (FLNG) and urging the National Guard Bureau to provide additional personnel and resources so that FLNG has what they need to keep Florida safe and secure. Despite being the third most populous state and experiencing the third most damage from natural disasters per household, Florida ranks 53 out of 54 states and territories in Guard personnel per capita. Joining Crist as co-leads were Representatives Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Mike Waltz (R-FL), as well as Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL).


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