Vermont National Guard: 99.7% federal funding, $187M in federal dollars bolster local economy

Colonel Jacob Roy, construction and facility management officer for the Vermont Army National Guard, said “99.7 percent of the Vermont National Guard funding is is from Federal sources” and described how those federal dollars support readiness while yielding local economic benefits.

Roy said the Guard routes federal appropriations, contracts and cooperative agreements into Vermont, supporting training, pay and allowances and local vendors. He said roughly $87,000,000 went to about 125 vendors on the Army side, and “the more state match... the more federal funds we can actually funnel into the state,” stressing that state matching funds enable the Guard to capture additional federal resources.

Why it matters: Roy framed the Guard’s funding as not only a readiness mechanism but an economic driver. He noted $1,140,000 in tuition assistance flows to Vermont colleges to support Guard members’ education and highlighted cooperative agreements in which roughly $7,000,000 of state funding is matched by about $37,000,000 in federal cooperative‑agreement dollars.

Supporting details: Roy estimated the Guard brings roughly $187,000,000 in federal funding annually to Vermont through appropriations, cooperative agreements and contracts. He pointed to recent large projects — the F‑35 build at Burlington International Airport (~$86,000,000) and the Army Mountain Warfare School (about $30,000,000) — as examples of construction that generated Vermont contracting work.

Discussion and next steps: The presentation ended with a brief question period and Roy invited follow‑up contact for more detailed requests. No formal votes or policy decisions were taken during the briefing.