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By Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn (Ret.)
NGAUS President
Last week, we issued a survey to our members to gauge their desire for the association to support a Defense Department proposal calling for the elimination of the dual-status military technician program.
The general consensus was for NGAUS to support the initiative while ensuring that any unresolved issues associated with the phaseout are also addressed. That is our position. The association has always supported modernization efforts. In fact, last year our members charged our legislative team through 11 separate resolutions to address shortfalls within the DST program.
Since its inception, the DST program has faced persistent challenges related to policy and resourcing. While the program provides important benefits, it has not kept pace with evolving workforce demands and the increasing operational tempo. Although there is broad agreement that the program requires reform, recent modernization efforts have fallen short.
Legislative Proposal 291, developed by DoD and approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget, addresses these shortcomings by converting National Guard military technicians to Active Guard and Reserve positions or Title 5 civilian roles over a 10-year period.
These positions would provide full-time personnel with pay, benefits, and retirement entitlements comparable to those of their active-duty counterparts.
LP 291 was submitted to Congress around May 15. The National Guard Bureau, along with the states, territories and the District of Columbia, initiated congressional engagement to establish champions within the House and Senate Armed Services committees to introduce the proposal, either as standalone legislation or as part of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.
Last week, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) adopted an amendment by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., that included LP 291. This week, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) will consider a similar amendment during its NDAA markup.
Under the proposal, the secretary of defense would retain authority to convert military-technician positions, subject to the consent of both the governor and the individual service member. The target date for full implementation is Oct. 1, 2038, with a projected workforce composition of 89% AGR and 11% Title 5 employees.
Some issues do remain, such as control grades, retirement implications and funding to meet the increased end strength.
These concerns should be addressed through the legislative process rather than deferred. As with association’s top legislative priority, Duty Status Reform, the complexity of this issue warrants a comprehensive, one-time solution.
As congressional staff have noted, reform must be approached methodically and holistically, rather than in a piecemeal fashion.
Additionally, current AGR authorizations are only funded to about 50-60% of validated full-time requirements. Simply converting military technicians into AGR positions does not inherently address this resource gap, raising further concerns about the proposal’s ability to improve overall manning levels.
Unfortunately, NGAUS was not included in the development of this proposal nor in the planning for its rollout and advocacy on Capitol Hill. DoD transmitted the proposal to Congress and it has been moving extremely fast. NGAUS felt it was important to better understand the proposal’s impact and consult its membership.
Previously, association members have not called for a full conversion of the program, though they have adopted multiple resolutions supporting targeted modernization and improvements.
We always supported reforms that benefit service members, units and the National Guard as a whole. However, reform must not come at the expense of other National Guard accounts, end strength, or force structure.
Given that the National Guard consistently operates below its required full-time manning levels, any reform effort must increase full-time support, sustain or enhance readiness and provide meaningful career progression opportunities for the workforce.
NGAUS defers to the adjutants general, who are responsible for managing their respective force structures and workforces, and supports their leadership in advocating for and implementing any changes.
We commend the efforts of the Adjutants General Association of the United States in building congressional support for this proposal and appreciate DoD’s commitment to addressing longstanding challenges within the DST program.
