RELEASE:
National Guard Caucus Announces Palazzo and Walz as Co-Chairmen
Washington, D.C.—The House National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus today announced its bipartisan leadership for the 114th Congress. Congressman Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN), both National Guardsmen, will serve as the Co-Chairmen.
“I am proud to serve as a Co-Chair of the National Guard and Reserve Caucus alongside my fellow chair Congressman Walz,” said Congressman Palazzo. “As the only active, enlisted Guardsman in Congress, this responsibility has personal significance for me, and I share in each service member’s concern. Our mandate is to ensure our National Guard and Reserve components are provided with the right funding, equipment and training to defend our shores and to be ready to respond when crisis strikes. We are here to be the Congressional voice and advocate for the National Guard.”
“I’m proud to continue my role as Co-Chair of the National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus with Congressman Palazzo,” said Rep. Walz, a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard. “As we move forward in the new Congress, we must ensure our National Guard and Reservists have a strong voice on Capitol Hill. Congressman Palazzo and I pledge to be that voice; to make certain our Guard and Reservists are provided with the proper funding to maintain a 21st century fighting force.”
“Representative Palazzo is great choice to join Congressman Walz as co-chairmen of this important caucus,” said retired Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, the president of the National Guard Association of the United States. “He knows what it’s like to serve in these challenging times. He is fluent in the bigger issues that confront our forces. And he is respected by senior defense leaders. We look forward to working with both Congressman Palazzo and Congressman Walz.”
The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) stated, “As the 114th Congress kicks off, members of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States are excited about the formation of the House Guard and Reserves Components Caucus. The association has a strong tradition of working closely with the Caucus and it’s Co-Chairs, Representative Palazzo and Representative Walz, who are well known advocates of the warfighter and our nation’s veterans. EANGUS members are encouraged by the caucus members willingness to work together, in bipartisan fashion, to ensure that no Enlisted Guardsmen is adversely affected by spending cuts, in this austere environment.”
Formed in 1996, the House National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus was created to ensure that our National Guard and Reserve components are sufficiently resourced to do their job both at home and abroad. Its mission is to ensure the Guard and Reserve have proper inputs on policy, procurement, force structure and utilization within the Department of Defense and Big Army.
The Caucus would also like to extend its sincerest thanks to outgoing Chairman Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), who served as co-chair for the 112th and 113th Congresses.
2/4/15
