National Guard public affairs chief discusses hurricane response, other challenges

The major issue of the moment for the National Guard Bureau, which oversees administration of Army and Air Force National Guard units nationwide, is the potential destructive impact of Hurricane Florence as it barrels toward the Southeast coast of the United States.

Jon Anderson, acting director of Public Affairs for the National Guard Bureau, was guest speaker at the Sept. 11 meeting of American Legion Post 20, long associated with the National Press Club. He said Army and Air National Guard units in East Coast states are on alert to render assistance as needed during and after the storm.

He said that in emergency situations like Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria of last year, the Bureau works closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and with state governors in assisting with emergency relief. Guard units report directly to state governors "but we can help at the federal level with matters like communications and federal affairs," he said.

A retired Air Force officer, Anderson has been Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the Guard Bureau since 2010. Prior to that he held senior public affairs positions with the Defense Information Systems Agency, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, and the General Services Administration.

Anderson explained that the Guard Bureau is responsible for the readiness of some 460,000 Army and Air Force National Guard personnel, and is also the Defense Department's channel of communication with state governors and their adjutant generals, who actually command states' Guard units.

In his wide-ranging remarks, Anderson said while pursuing readiness and other operational requirements, the National Guard leadership must be sensitive to the impact of military training and deployments on the employment status of Guard members. "Employers don't like it when valuable employees have to leave their jobs for training or deployment," he said. "But these same employees usually return with better leadership skills and greater confidence. Communicating this to employers and the public is important."

Another priority issue is proper medical care for Guard members who suffer combat injuries while deployed. "Active duty soldiers come home to their bases and military hospitals while Guard members to back to their communities. Ensuring that those Guard members get the right care and counseling can sometimes be a challenge," he said. He noted that the American Legion has been a strong advocate for Guard members and their families on such matters.

Anderson also discussed the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program (SPP), where state Guard units have established 75 partnership security arrangements with the armed forces or equivalent in 81 nations worldwide. For example, he cited a longstanding partnership between Illinois Guard forces and Poland. "It's been a great way to develop mutual trust and personal relationships," he said. SPP has been in existence for 25 years.

At start of the meeting Post 20 members observed a moment of silence to honor those who perished in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Post 20 was founded in 1919, the same year the American Legion was started by World War I veterans. It has been associated with the Club ever since. Speaker portions of the Post 20 meetings are open to all Club members.