Emergency Operations Center Tour
Committee members toured the new Emergency Operations Center on November 14, 2013, at the Boone National Guard Center before the committee meeting began.
Call to Order and Roll Call
The 5th meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection was held on Thursday, November 14, 2013, at 1:00 PM, at the Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, Kentucky. Representative Tanya Pullin, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator Jimmy Higdon, Co-Chair; Representative Tanya Pullin, Co-Chair; Senators Carroll Gibson, Ernie Harris, Christian McDaniel, Dennis Parrett, Albert Robinson, Whitney Westerfield, and Mike Wilson; Representatives Regina Bunch, Tom Burch, Larry Clark, Leslie Combs, Tim Couch, Will Coursey, Ron Crimm, Robert R. Damron, Myron Dossett, David Floyd, Kenny Imes, Martha Jane King, Jimmie Lee, Terry Mills, Tim Moore, Rick G. Nelson, Tom Riner, Rita Smart, John Tilley, and Russell Webber.
Guests: Col. Steven Bullard, Kentucky Department of Military Affairs; Col. James Huggins, Commander and Lt. Col. Don Morgan, Public Affairs Officer, Kentucky Civil Air Patrol (CAP).
LRC Staff: Erica Warren, Kristopher Shera, Daniel Carter, and Rhonda Schierer.
Minutes
Senator Wilson moved to adopt the October 10, 2013, meeting minutes. Representative King seconded the motion, and the minutes were adopted.
Kentucky Department of Military Affairs
Col. Steven Bullard gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Kentucky National Guard’s organization, dual-purpose capabilities, recent and current missions, installations and facilities, tuition and assistance program, and support resources.
The Kentucky Army National Guard has 7,235 soldiers and the Kentucky Air National Guard has 1,202 Airmen. Some of the dual-purpose capabilities for Kentucky Army National Guard are transportation/truck, medical, engineer, and military police assets, and the Kentucky Air National Guard has airlift, air medical, and special tactics assets. Kentucky specific capabilities are the Division of Emergency Management, Bluegrass Station, and Kentucky Logistics Operations Center. Recent and current missions include natural disaster planning, ongoing civil support operations, and various local events. The National Guard has provided funeral honors for 238 Kentucky veterans and is planning for multi-state and regional efforts to have a national level exercise in 2014 centering on the New Madrid Fault.
There have been over 18,000 Kentucky National Guard personnel deployed since September 11, 2001. 2014 will have the smallest deployment numbers since 2001.
There are 52 armories and one airbase in 49 counties of Kentucky. Current training sites are in Greenville, Artemus, and Clay City, Kentucky. The Department of Defense programs include the Family Relief Assistance Program, National Guard Resilience Program, Suicide Prevention Program, Survivors’ Day at the Races, Youth ChalleNGe Program. Kentucky programs include the Military Family Assistance Trust Fund and KYNG Adoption Benefit Program. The KYNG Tuition Assistance Program FY 13-14 academic year budget is $4,898,100. To date, for the fall semester alone, $3,578,932 has been obligated. There are 1,030 applicants for the fall semester.
In response to a question from Chair Pullin, Col. Bullard stated that the tuition assistance program had no funds left over from the previous year.
In response to a question from Co-Chair Higdon, Col. Bullard stated that the National Guard is looking to expand Bluegrass Station.
Kentucky Civil Air Patrol
Col. James Huggins, Commander, and Lt. Col. Don Morgan, Public Affairs Officer, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Kentucky Civil Air Patrol Kentucky Wing of the United States Air Force Auxiliary. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a non-profit 501-C3 corporation made up of all volunteers. CAP provides emergency services, search and rescue, disaster damage assessment and relief, counterdrug, and homeland security missions. The organization is funded and supported by the United States Air Force, DoD, and other federal agencies. CAP receives funding from 45 state governments appropriations totaling $3,000,000 annually. The Kentucky Wing of the CAP was created in 1996.
The Kentucky CAP has 15 squadrons located in Bardstown, Bowling Green, Danville, Frankfort, Ft. Campbell, Fulton County, Lexington, Louisville, Northern Kentucky, Owensboro, and Paducah. The Kentucky CAP Wing is the provider of aerial photography for the Kentucky Department of Emergency Management. There are 602 members, nine airplanes, and 20 vehicles.
Lt. Col. Don Morgan provided a list of needs for the Kentucky Wing which is a part of this official record. A member application was provided to all committee members and staff who are interested in becoming a member of the Kentucky CAP Wing. The application is part of this official record.
In response to a question from Senator Westerfield, Col. Morgan stated that the applications can be mailed to Don. C. Morgan, Lt. Col., CAP, 101 Branwood Lane, Nicholasville, KY 40356.
Other Business
The Commander of Agribusiness, Lt. Col. Dallas Kratzer, Director of Personnel, briefly discussed a nine month mission in Afghanistan where he, 39 volunteers, and 35 security personnel helped businesses, farmers, and veterans, and worked in the villages of Afghanistan with a local governor.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.