Mission

The Military Department 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 emergencies. The state mission is to coordinate, support and augment federal, state and local authorities in emergency response, to provide emergency response planning and to conduct community service programs.

Title 27 of the Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) contains the Military Department’s statutory authority and responsibility. The Department’s principle public responsibilities are (1) to train, resource and coordinate state emergency response assets and (2) to plan for and protect citizens and their property in times of war, terrorism, invasion, rebellion, riot or disaster. The Military Department facilitates public safety during emergencies.

The Military Department is functionally divided into four components: the Military Department Headquarters, Connecticut Army National Guard (CTARNG), Connecticut Air National Guard (CTANG) and the Organized Militia. The Military Department employs 113 full-time state employees, utilizing just 42 full-time equivalent positions. The CTARNG is comprised of 2,736 traditional (part-time) Soldiers, 854 full-time federally employed Soldiers and 18 federal civilian employees, totaling 3,608 personnel. The CTANG is comprised of 812 traditional (part-time) Airmen, 349 full-time federally employed Airmen and three federal civilian technicians, totaling 1,164 personnel. The Organized Militia consists of 359 personnel.

The Connecticut Military Department Headquarters is comprised of The Adjutant General (TAG) and Assistant Adjutant General (AAG). They are appointed by the Governor of Connecticut. TAG serves concurrently as Commander of the State National Guard. TAG is a federally recognized Major General billet. The AAG serves in a Brigadier General billet. Both TAG and AAG are approved in their military rank by the Department of Defense (DoD).

TAG is the Commander of the Connecticut National Guard (CTNG) and the Organized Militia. He commands the elements of the Military Department through the Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), located in the Gov. William A. O’Neill Armory in Hartford. TAG also oversees the civilian employees who provide administrative support to the military personnel of the Department.

The Military Department continues to focus on minority employment, with an established goal of mirroring state demographics. Minority members currently comprise 24.5 percent of the CTNG. The Guard places emphasis on recognizing minority accomplishments through national award submissions and continues to promote cultural awareness through hosting special emphasis events. The CTNG has developed a strong relationship with the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, utilizing professionals in the field of Equal Opportunity/Human Relations to provide "hands-on" training to its senior leadership and representatives. The CTNG has also pursued an aggressive training program designed to educate Soldiers and Airmen on the prevention of sexual harassment and assault.

The Military Department is committed to conducting military operations in an environmentally-friendly manner. The Military Department has received several hundred thousand dollars from the federal government to conduct site evaluations and remediation activities at sites statewide to ensure the cleanest standards are achieved and maintained. The CTNG also conducts federally mandated environmental assessments of its installations each year, utilizing both internal and external inspection teams. The Military Department will continue to perform its mission while looking for new ways to reduce pollution-generating activities and to preserve and enhance all of its valuable training lands.