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For the third consecutive year, counterdrug experts, National Guard leaders and congressional staff gathered on Capitol Hill to spotlight the unique value of the National Guard Counterdrug Program and ensure continued support.
“This is a whole-of-government approach using the Guard’s unique capabilities and authorities to get at our national drug epidemic,” Brig. Gen. Richard Cipro, Massachusetts’ assistant adjutant general-Army, told attendees July 24.
Created in 1989, the CDP is not only effective but cost-efficient, particularly for communities with budget restraints and in rural areas, added Cipro, a 32-year veteran of the Worcester (Massachusetts) Police Department.
In every state, territory and the District of Columbia, the program helps to bridge the gap between civilian law enforcement and the military.
In 2024, the program supported 2,579 law enforcement agencies.
“This is a true congressional program that creates efficiencies within our whole law enforcement community through training, programs, and boots on the ground,” Cipro said.
In 2024, the CDP conducted 8,859 missions, supported 32,152 arrests, trained 67,680 law enforcement officers, contributed to $12.45 billion in drug seizures and seized 13 billion lethal doses of fentanyl.
That is a return on investment of over 4,000%, Cipro noted, adding the Guard show we are “good stewards of our taxpayer dollars.”
“This program plays an integral part in drug interdiction and demand reduction,” said Julian Plamann, the deputy director of legislative affairs for NGAUS.
“It’s proven success getting drugs off our streets is a testament to the unique capability and endless potential of the National Guard,” she said. “It’s on us to make sure that story is being told.”
Earlier in the week, members of the Counterdrug Advisory Council visited the National Guard Memorial, the NGAUS headquarters in Washington, D.C., and then visited 95 offices on Capitol Hill to tell the story of the CDP’s success and the critical need to fully fund the program. The event drew 30 Counterdrug experts from 18 different states.
“You make a difference by advocating for this program,” Maj. Gen. John C. Andonie, interim commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, told attendees. “I’ve seen real results in the last three years I've been here. This program has received additional funding to get after this crucial mission.”
Last year, the program received a funding increase for the first time in over 20 years due to the efforts of NGAUS and its congressional allies.
“For the past three years, NGAUS has worked with the Counterdrug Advisory Council to increase education and advocacy for the program,” Plamann added. “I am incredibly proud to see this event grow and to watch the fruits of our labor materialize into robust funding for the program,”
Andonie said he takes “great pride in telling the mayor that the counterdrug program is meeting her priorities" of getting youth away from crime. “This program directly benefits that effort.”
Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, the adjutant general of Massachusetts and co-chair of the Officer Advisory Council, also was in attendance.
The Capitol Hill reception was coordinated by the Counterdrug Advisory Council and sponsored by the Massachusetts State Police with support from Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Kentucky, and NGAUS.
More on the Counterdrug Program can be found here.
More information on the Counterdrug Advisory Council can be found here.
—By Jennifer Hickey
