Governor Ron DeSantis (R) of Florida expressed his dissent towards the Biden administration’s proposal to integrate Air National Guard personnel into the Space Force in a letter he published on Friday.
In late March, the Senate Armed Services Committee received a legislative proposal from the Defense Department that sought congressional intervention to supersede an existing law mandating governor approval of modifications to National Guard units.
The purpose of this legislation was to facilitate the transfer of hundreds of service members to the Space Force.
In opposition to the proposition, forty-eight governors of states, territories, and commonwealths wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin earlier this week.
It is worth noting that DeSantis did not affix his signature to the letter transmitted by the National Governors Association.
However, he clarified this in his own correspondence to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees on Friday.
DeSantis contended that the present size of Florida’s National Guard is inadequate, asserting that the state has been “under-resourced” by the federal government relative to other major states.
“As a low-lying, storm-prone state, Florida is uniquely vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding that require significant, operationally ready logistics and disaster support, including from our National Guard units,” DeSantis wrote.
“This legislative proposal weakens that guarantee and sidesteps the authority of the Governor to ensure Floridians are prepared and protected to address whatever domestic emergencies may arise, especially as we approach another hurricane season,” he added.
As per his correspondence, the Florida State Guard was formed by the state to provide supplementary capabilities to the Florida National Guard during critical situations.
Patrick Space Force Base in Florida is the site of significant Space Force operations.
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