FL S0826

Florida Legislature urges Congress to direct the United States National Guard Bureau to examine resource allocations for the Florida National Guard and increase its force structure.

Florida has approximately 21 million residents (third most populous state) but only 12,000 Guardsmen, resulting in a ratio of one Guardsman per 1,833 residents ranking 53rd among 54 states and territories.

Florida National Guard expended the same number of workdays in 18 months (2020-2021) due to COVID-19 response, natural disasters, and overseas deployments as it had over the previous 20 years.

The shortage of personnel combined with the state's growing population has led to repeated deployment of the same soldiers, causing excessive fatigue and negatively impacting recruitment, retention, and readiness.

Copies of the memorial shall be sent to the President of the United States, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and each member of the Florida congressional delegation.