THE BILL ITSELF
SM 1186
Florida National Guard Increased Force Structure
Florida Senate - 2026 SM 1186 By Senator Wright 8-00476-26 20261186__
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Senate Memorial
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A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
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urging Congress to impel the National Guard Bureau to
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examine the present allocations of the Florida
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National Guard and allow an increase in its force
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structure.
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WHEREAS, the number of soldiers and airmen allocated to
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each state’s National Guard, known as its “force structure,” is
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determined by the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C., and
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WHEREAS, with approximately 21 million residents, Florida
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is the third most populous state in the nation but has a force
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structure of just over 12,000 Guardsmen, and its ratio of one
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Guardsman for every 1,833 residents ranks 53rd among the 54
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states and territories of the United States which have a
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National Guard component, and
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WHEREAS, due to the unprecedented events of 2020 and 2021,
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including COVID-19 response, natural disasters, and overseas
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deployments, the Florida National Guard expended the same number
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of workdays in 18 months as it had expended during the previous
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20 years, and
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WHEREAS, the Florida National Guard continues to meet its
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mission goals; however, the shortage of these invaluable
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“citizen soldiers,” combined with the state’s growing population
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and increased need for National Guard activation and response,
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has resulted in the repeated redeployment of the same soldiers,
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which ultimately leads to excessive stress and fatigue and
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negatively impacts recruitment, retention, and readiness, and
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WHEREAS, the National Guard Bureau’s report titled “Impact
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of U.S. Population Trends on National Guard Force Structure,”
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released to Congress in April 2021, acknowledges the
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aforementioned concerns within Florida and other regions,
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stating that “the National Guard may need to evaluate
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reallocating mission sets to other geographic areas to keep pace
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with changing demographics across the country,” NOW, THEREFORE,
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Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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That the Florida Legislature respectfully urges the United
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States Congress to impel the National Guard Bureau to examine
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the present allocations of the Florida National Guard and allow
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an increase in its force structure.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State dispatch
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copies of this memorial to the President of the United States,
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the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the
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United States House of Representatives, and each member of the
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Florida delegation to the United States Congress.