National Guard

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has mobilized thousands of National Guard troops to the southern border over the past three years to deter illegal migration. The mobilization has taken a toll on some soldiers.

More than 6000 National Guardsmen have been deployed to the Helene relief effort. With many roads and bridges knocked out, much of their work is being done by helicopter.

Some government watchdogs say the long-running mission is an inappropriate use of the Guard. Even the Pentagon has been looking for an off-ramp.

The referral bonuses are designed to boost recruiting at the National Guard, which fell thousands of troops short of its goal last year.

The National Guard fell about 9,000 troops short of its goal in 2022. Some states are improving their outreach and incentive plans to try to counter that trend.

The Pentagon said unvaccinated guardsmen won't get paid and can't participate in federally-funded deployments, but some states are concerned that will affect the Guard's ability to do its job.

When National Guard members and reservists deploy, a federal law is supposed to preserve their civilian jobs and benefits. But in some states, government employees can't access those protections.

The State Partnership Program has quietly become a powerful tool for diplomacy and modeling U.S. values around the world.

In a sign of how desperate some states are for health care workers during the pandemic, New York has begun teaching EMT skills to National Guard members.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott continues to ramp up his controversial border security initiative. The state has sent troopers and National Guard members to the U.S./Mexico border to arrest migrants.