LIEUTENANT GENERAL WILLIAM A. CUGNO, The Adjutant General

Brigadier General Ireneusz J. Zembrzuski, Assistant Adjutant General - Army

Colonel Thaddeus J. Martin, Assistant Adjutant General – Air

Kerry Flaherty, Director Office of Emergency Management

Statutory authority – CGS Titles 27 and 28

Central office – State Armory,

360 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06105-3795

Number of state employees - 118

Recurring state operating expenses - $24,036,513

Federal expenditure - $203 million

Mission

The Military Department -- comprised of the Connecticut Army and Air National Guards, Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and the Organized Militia -- is a unique dual-status agency, having both federal and state missions. The federal mission is to maintain properly trained and equipped National Guard units for prompt federalization in the event of war, domestic emergencies or other exigencies. The state mission is to coordinate, support and augment federal, state and local authorities in emergency response; provide emergency management planning, funding, and training assistance to communities; and conduct community service programs.

Statutory Responsibility

Titles 27 and 28 of the General Statutes contain the Military Department’s statutory authority and responsibility. The Department’s principal public responsibilities are (1) to coordinate, resource and train state emergency response methods and operations and (2) to plan for and protect citizens and their property in times of war, terrorism, invasion, rebellion, riot or disaster. The Military Department serves as the Governor’s primary agency for ensuring public safety in a variety of emergencies.

Improvements/Achievements 2003-2004

· In a continuing response to the war on terrorism the Military Department augmented security operations at the state’s nuclear power plants, federal military facilities and other strategic sites by activating hundreds of Guardsmen under Operation Holiday Shield. Connecticut Air National Guard's 103rd Fighter Wing and Air Control Squadron activated over 400 airmen in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Deployed 300 airmen to Southwest Asia to fly 450 combat missions over the battlefield. The Connecticut Army National Guard’s 1109th Aviation Classification and Repair Activity Depot, 143rd Military Police Company, 247^th Engineer Detachment, 248^th Engineer Co, 250^th Engineer Medium Girder Bridge Company and Company G 104^th Aviation were all activated and deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. These soldiers served with distinction and have since returned home and a new round of activations and deployments are currently taking place. Connecticut National Guard Starbase Program which supported the greater Hartford School District and youth clubs by providing a five-week curriculum designed to allow practical training in math, science and technology to 800 elementary students has been expanded through an additional federal grant to include the City of Waterbury. Members of the 242nd Engineer Battalion, 102^nd Infantry Battalion and the State Area Command who were activated to provide security at Military Installations throughout the northeastern portion of the United States have also returned to their jobs and families in the civilian sector. Military squads rendered honors at the funerals of over 2,522 Connecticut veterans. We have enjoyed continued success with our Joint Task Force Husky (J-TFH) construction projects. This past year five outside states Army and Air National Guard Engineer Unit’s have received valuable construction training skills, while improving Connecticut’s Training Facilities at minimal cost.

The Military Department – The Military Department is functionally divided into four components: Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Organized Militia, and Office of Emergency Management. The Military Department, through the National Guard federally employs 5,213, nearly 1,095 full-time: 648 military and 28 civilian federal technicians, 419 Active Guard and Reserve soldiers and airmen, totaling well over $100 million in federal pay and allowances. The Military Department employs 118 full-time state personnel. Part-time authorized strength is 4,001 soldiers, 1,212 airmen and over 226 militiamen. The Military Department is one of Connecticut’s top 100 employers.

Vision Statement of the Military Department – To maintain relevant, capable and accessible forces, structured and resourced to accomplish missions across the spectrum of emergency contingencies, equipped to efficiently respond when called with trained citizen soldiers and civilians, committed to preserving the time-honored traditions and values of service to our nation, state and communities.

Army National Guard – The Connecticut Army National Guard (CTARNG), authorized strength of 4,001 soldiers, consists of 4 major commands with 55 units stationed in 20 state armories and two Army aviation facilities. The CTARNG comprises 75 percent of the Military Department’s personnel strength and brings nearly $138 million of federal funding to the state annually. CTARNG maintains over $200 million in federal equipment and supplies.

Air National Guard -- The Connecticut Air National Guard (CTANG), authorized strength of 1,212 airmen, consists of a Headquarters and the 103d Fighter Wing in East Granby, and the 103^rd Air Control Squadron in Orange. CTANG is one of East Granby’s largest employers. CTANG brings over $65 million in federal funding to the state annually. CTANG maintains over $158 million in federal equipment and supplies. The Air National Guard facilities are valued over 112 million and maintained on 170 acres of state and federal land. Facilities operation and maintenance pays 75 percent of 11 state employees and 100 percent of nine state employee’s salaries. The federal payroll is in excess of one million dollars and the CTANG maintains contracts with 44 Connecticut businesses totaling $900,000.

Office of Emergency Management (OEM) – OEM is the statutory agent responsible for developing and executing the Governor’s emergency response program which includes mitigation, planning, response and recovery plans for a wide-range of natural, technological and national security hazards, including terrorist incidents. Three-quarters of OEM’s $4.5 million annual budget is derived from federal and private funding. OEM distributes one-third of this funding to eighty-one municipal management programs and nine state and volunteer agencies in support of emergency management/preparedness. OEM annually coordinates responses to numerous weather and hazardous-material (HAZMAT) related emergencies. Recent activities include rewriting the state emergency operations plans to conform with new national standards, completion of federally evaluated state radiological response plan exercises, implementation and evaluation of regional HAZMAT/terrorist-incident response exercises.

In response to the continuing war on terrorism, OEM activated the Emergency Operations Center for 24 hour operation a total of 11 times totaling 57 days. Four of the activations were as the nation’s threat level went from Yellow to Orange. The additional activations included three for weather events, two for technological events including the blackout, and two for exercises.

Organized Militia – The Connecticut Organized Militia consists of four units -- two companies of the Governor's Foot Guard and two companies of the Governor’s Horse Guard -- with a combined strength of 226 militia members. The Organized Militia, when required, ceremonially escorts the Governor, and supports other ceremonial and civic activities, including open horse shows, parades and scholastic programs.

Operations, Training, Military Support

Overseas deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
CONUS deployments in support of homeland security missions providing over 2,872 man-days of Homeland Security support for Connecticut's airports, nuclear power plants, oil storage facilities and other critical infrastructure resulting from the continuing war on terrorism.
Additional international deployments to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Honduras, Iceland, Italy, Kuwait, Nicaragua, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates.
Processed over 350-community support requests for loans of military equipment, civic-action programs, parades and concert performances.
Based on an MOU between the State and the Nuclear Power providers that provided detailed guidance on response measures for heightened threat situations the Department established, trained and deployed a National Guard Quick Reaction Force (QRF) to protect the Millstone Nuclear Power Facility.
Other support included transportation for various weather-related emergencies, personnel, equipment and facilities for emergency operations, and emergency water supply operations.

Counter Drug and Drug Demand Reduction -The National Guard Counterdrug Program provided nearly $1 million in federal support to Connecticut’s drug interdiction and demand-reduction activities -- providing in excess of 5,000 man hours, and 250 flight hours in support of Law Enforcement Agency operations and seizing over $10 million in illegal drug-trafficking assets. The Counterdrug Program coordinated distribution of $1.2 million worth of excess Department of Defense property to state and local law enforcement agencies through the 1033 Program. Counterdrug Youth Programs (Drug Education for Youth (DEFY), Weed and Seed, Aviation Role Models for Youth (A.R.M.Y), SAFEGUARD, Aviation Career Education (ACE) and others) provided anti-drug/leadership-development instruction to almost 10,000 Connecticut citizens.

STARBASE - Connecticut is an academic outreach program for at risk youth that incorporates a fast paced curriculum of hands-on activities, classroom experiments and support from volunteer experts within the Connecticut National Guard and the community. The goal of STARBASE Connecticut is to provide an innovative, educational outreach program in a non-conventional instructional setting to raise the interest and improve the knowledge and skills of at risk youth in math, science and technology. The long-term goal of STARBASE is to assist the next generation in becoming responsible, drug-free, goal oriented productive citizens who value lifelong learning and are better prepared for the future. STARBASE Connecticut operates on a 500K annual budget and instructs more than 1,800 Hartford and Waterbury area 5^th-graders per calendar year.

Equal Opportunity –The Military Department continued to increase minority employment, essentially mirroring Connecticut's minority demography, with a 16 percent minority membership. Special emphasis is placed on recognizing and celebrating minority events and observances. The Military Department is a leader in promoting minority accomplishment and culture. Active participation in and sponsorship of celebrations honoring Black history, Hispanic heritage, Federal women and other observances exemplify the Military Department’s steadfast commitment to equal employment and opportunity.

Environmental Management – Received wetland and air permits for on-going infrastructure improvements at Stone’s Ranch Military Reservation in East Lyme. Removed six underground storage tanks and replaced them with “state of the Art” above ground storage tanks. Demolished several World War II era buildings (over 40,000 gross square feet) at facilities located in South Windsor (Camp Hartell), and East Lyme (Camp Rowland and Stone's Ranch) under the Federal Building Demolition Project. Completed reconstruction of a new seawall for one half of the waterfront at Camp Rell facing the Niantic River.

Strategic Planning and Construction

· Developed the first Connecticut Army National Guard comprehensive Federal Ten Year Long Range Construction Program (LRCP) and State Five Year Facility Capitalization (FACCAP) Program. This will help our military department in acquiring both future Federal and State funding.

· Received approval for over $60,000,000 worth of Federal Construction and Consultant Design Funding to support our Citizen Soldiers, an increase of over $10,000,000 over the past year. This approved funding is directed by Congress and normally referred to as the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) or the Military Construction (MILCON) appropriations.

· Removed two outdated State Military Facilities; the Ansonia and Brainard Armories off of the Military Departments Property Inventory Books and moved the National Guard units into a federally funded Joint Reserve Center in West Hartford.

· Replaced a total of eight roofs in the past two years; this will protect our capital and operating investments.

· Recently completed Federal Fiscal Year 2005 Minor Construction Program with 27 total projects valued at $7,500,000. These improvements will drastically improve the quality of life and mobilization requirements for the CT Army National Guard Citizen Soldiers.

· Finished construction of the new Robert B. Nett Leadership Hall Building located at Camp Rell, East Lyme.

· Finished construction on the Governors Secure Communication Room, within the OEM facility, which will enable the Governor to maintain a secure line of communication and develop contingency plans w/ essential key commissioners during times of state and national emergencies.

· Started Construction on the Training Site Post Maintenance Warehouse, Camp Rell, East Lyme. The current warehouse was constructed in the 1920’s and is undersized to handle today’s current logistical demands of Camp Rell.

· Started Construction on the new $2,100,000 Military Fire Station Located at Stones Ranch Military Reservation, East Lyme.

· Started Construction on the new $2,400,000 Military Working Dog Facility Located at Newtown Military Reservation, Newtown.

· Developed the long range Base Re-Alignment and Closure (BRAC) Plan for the Joint Services in Connecticut, not including the Active Navy or Air Guard Facilities. The plan calls for closing 13 Army Guard and Army Reserve Facilities and building 2 Joint Reserve Centers.

· Currently under construction, a $12 million (federal) construction project to replace 11 buildings, all utilities and pavements at the Air Control Squadron complex in Orange. Prime contractor is from Enfield and uses local subcontractors. Construction inspection and management includes a $300,000 (federal) contract with a New Britain engineering firm and a $103,000 contract hire of a local inspector.

· Completed construction of Phase I of a two-phase renovation of the main aircraft maintenance hanger at Bradley Air National Guard Base. Includes a new fire suppression system and repair of hanger doors. Prime contractor is from Bloomfield. $200 million (federal).

· Developing plan to establish Joint Armed Forces Reserve Centers of Excellence with other Reserve Components for the joint stationing of military units, thereby eliminating the requirement for independent facilities, increasing building usage and reducing associated overhead costs.

· Design and Construct; Civil Support Team/Weapons of Mass Destruction (CST/WMD) Facility Located in Windsor Locks

· Start Design for a New Readiness Center to support a Military Police Law and Order Unit and a Chemical Company/Battalion Army Division Redesign Study (ADRS) unit to be constructed at Camp Rell, East Lyme.

· Finish the design of the Regimental Training Institute (RTI) $28,000,000 Academy located at Camp Rell, East Lyme.

· Acquire the Naval and Marine Corps Readiness Reserve Center located in New Haven and close the outdated New Haven Armory.