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Date
State
Massachusetts
Category
Joint
Type Draft
New Resolution
State Association First Name
Ryan
State Association Last Name
Peterson
Resolution No.
18
Item No
G
Fiscal Year
2028
State Association Email
State Association Phone Number
5089161195
Relating To
Enhancing the Army and Air National Guard by Providing Support for all Domestic Operations - Public Safety
SME Email
SME Phone
9788099701
Task Force
Domestic Operations
State Association Title
Resolutions Chair
Proposal Statement
Field and sustain modernized Law Enforcement Equipment Kit (LEEK) sets for National Guard units.
Recommendation Information
Executive Order 14339, “Additional Measures to Address the Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia,” directs the Secretary of War to ensure each state’s National Guard is fully “resourced, trained, organized, and available” to support law enforcement during civil disturbances. Proper resourcing is therefore a fundamental requirement for mission readiness and execution.
Subsequent guidance from the Department of War and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) reinforced this requirement. A Secretary of War memorandum dated 24 September 2025 directed the NGB to create, resource, and equip specialized National Guard Quick Reaction Forces (NGQRF) capable of deploying with required weapons, riot gear, and associated equipment. This guidance was further implemented through the NGB memorandum, “National Guard Response Force Implementation,” dated 8 October 2025, which directed states to train, equip, and operationalize these forces. Together, these directives clearly establish that proper equipping of the force is an essential component of operational readiness.
Despite these directives, a capability gap emerged during modernization efforts associated with the transition to the Modular Scalable Vest (MSV). The MSV fielding omitted law enforcement-specific pouches and holders required for mission-essential equipment. To address this deficiency, the “Memorandum of Notification for Initial Fielding of Law Enforcement Ensemble Kit (LEEK),” dated 29 September 2023, authorized standardized equipment kits for Military Police and other law enforcement personnel. The LEEK was designed to correct a recognized equipment shortfall affecting the safe and effective carriage of items such as handcuffs, batons, and communication devices.
However, the LEEK fielding plan created a significant readiness disparity. The memorandum and associated Basis of Issue appendix allocated more than 13,000 kits exclusively to active-duty organizations, including FORSCOM and IMCOM, while excluding the National Guard. As a result, active-duty personnel received standardized law enforcement equipment while the National Guard, specifically designated for domestic response missions under EO 14339, remain equipped with incomplete or inadequate systems.
This disparity undermines the Total Force concept and negatively impacts the readiness and safety of personnel tasked with domestic response missions. Failure to field the LEEK to National Guard units is more than a logistical oversight; it directly limits the ability of these forces to meet established mission requirements.
To ensure compliance with EO 14339 and fully equip designated response forces for domestic law enforcement support missions, the LEEK modernization effort should be extended to National Guard with the same priority afforded to the active component.
Subsequent guidance from the Department of War and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) reinforced this requirement. A Secretary of War memorandum dated 24 September 2025 directed the NGB to create, resource, and equip specialized National Guard Quick Reaction Forces (NGQRF) capable of deploying with required weapons, riot gear, and associated equipment. This guidance was further implemented through the NGB memorandum, “National Guard Response Force Implementation,” dated 8 October 2025, which directed states to train, equip, and operationalize these forces. Together, these directives clearly establish that proper equipping of the force is an essential component of operational readiness.
Despite these directives, a capability gap emerged during modernization efforts associated with the transition to the Modular Scalable Vest (MSV). The MSV fielding omitted law enforcement-specific pouches and holders required for mission-essential equipment. To address this deficiency, the “Memorandum of Notification for Initial Fielding of Law Enforcement Ensemble Kit (LEEK),” dated 29 September 2023, authorized standardized equipment kits for Military Police and other law enforcement personnel. The LEEK was designed to correct a recognized equipment shortfall affecting the safe and effective carriage of items such as handcuffs, batons, and communication devices.
However, the LEEK fielding plan created a significant readiness disparity. The memorandum and associated Basis of Issue appendix allocated more than 13,000 kits exclusively to active-duty organizations, including FORSCOM and IMCOM, while excluding the National Guard. As a result, active-duty personnel received standardized law enforcement equipment while the National Guard, specifically designated for domestic response missions under EO 14339, remain equipped with incomplete or inadequate systems.
This disparity undermines the Total Force concept and negatively impacts the readiness and safety of personnel tasked with domestic response missions. Failure to field the LEEK to National Guard units is more than a logistical oversight; it directly limits the ability of these forces to meet established mission requirements.
To ensure compliance with EO 14339 and fully equip designated response forces for domestic law enforcement support missions, the LEEK modernization effort should be extended to National Guard with the same priority afforded to the active component.
