Virginia adjutant general says Guard has units supporting overseas operations; federal Title 10 status explained

Adjutant General Ring updated the House Public Safety Committee on Virginia National Guard activities, saying multiple units are currently supporting U.S. operations overseas and that the Guard maintains integrated monitoring with national authorities.

Ring said two units of particular note are a military police unit based in Hanover (deployed in support roles in the Middle East) and an engineer support company operating primarily in the Horn of Africa, and that airmen from the 190th wing at Langley are supporting F-22 operations. "They are all safe and doing well," Ring said, adding that he is on two secure calls per week with the chief of the National Guard Bureau to review posture.

Delegates asked whether the Guard's participation in overseas combat operations is legally authorized. Ring explained the Guard is a federally authorized, trained and equipped component that can be federalized: "When we federalize National Guard forces they may be federalized under Title 10 of U.S. Code," he said, and that further federal codes and mission-specific authorities can apply depending on the operation. Ring offered to provide the committee with the specific federal-code citations.

Ring said the Guard currently had no additional anticipated domestic mission sets beyond the air support described, but noted the Guard regularly receives "notification of sourcing" for future deployments and trains for complex missions. He emphasized the Guard's integration with federal command structures and its role as a portion of the nation's combat power.

The committee asked for further documentation and legal citations on the authorities used to federalize particular Guard units; Ring agreed to provide that information to the chair for the committee's awareness.