Pre-pandemic training of the National Guard and Army Reserve for global missions prepared them for critical COVID-19 missions, reserve component leaders told Congress. 

At a May 18 hearing before the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee, Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the National Guard Bureau chief, and Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, the Army Reserve chief, said the quick and extended roles for Guard and Reserve members activated for COVID-19 response were possible because of earlier efforts to maintain troops’ readiness and training. 

The Army Reserve spent three years before the COVID-19 pandemic rebuilding readiness, Daniels said. That made a big difference when the call came for help, she said.  

While the health crisis isn’t over, National Guard and Army Reserve involvement is declining, meaning it is time for the reserve components to return to their pre-2020 emphasis on equipment, training and personnel, Hokanson and Daniels said. 

The National Guard has spent about $521 million on security and deployments related to the 2021 presidential inauguration and unrest, Hokanson said. That money was diverted from pay and benefits accounts, he said. Reimbursement is needed by Aug. 1 to avoid problems, he said. Congress is working on a supplemental funding bill that would include the Guard funds.