Adjutant General urges recurring funding for National Guard emergency response and youth program

Adjutant General Aguilar told the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee that recent statute changes and state funding have expanded the New Mexico National Guard’s ability to respond quickly to disasters and to run youth mentoring programs, but he urged the Legislature to move toward recurring funding to lock in those gains.

Aguilar, the adjutant general of the New Mexico National Guard, said the state initially authorized the Guard to hire guardsmen for emergency response and that funding grew from about $600,000 to a two‑year, $2,500,000 allocation this cycle. He described a recent fast-moving fire in Espanola where Guardsmen bolstered local responders and said, “we had about 34 guardsmen on-site within really about an hour or 2,” arguing that a standing, paid CERT (community emergency response team) would preserve surge capacity.

The adjutant general also reviewed a TRICARE premium assistance program the committee helped start. He said an initial “about $500,000” covered premiums for roughly 300 guardsmen and that amount “was increased to 1000000 dollars” this year, allowing more members to buy TRICARE. Aguilar told lawmakers he hopes future changes at the federal level will permit direct state reimbursement to reduce administrative burden on individual service members.

On youth outreach, Aguilar outlined the governor’s Summer Challenge program for middle-school students — a mix of academics, mentorship and outdoor activities — reporting improved attendance and discipline among participants and asking the committee to consider recurring support. He estimated recurring per-site costs at about $300,000 and said that $1,000,000 in recurring funds would cover the program’s current footprint, while roughly $3,000,000 would enable a substantially larger expansion.

Committee members pressed for details. Representative Alan Martinez asked whether the state’s active-duty tax exemption covers weekend drill pay; Aguilar said the statute uses the phrase “active service,” which has been interpreted unevenly, and recommended clarifying language so drilling guardsmen are treated consistently. Representative Joy Garrett asked whether program participants are tracked; Aguilar said programs use pre- and post-tests in literacy and math and monitor school-year attendance and discipline to assess longer-term impact.

Members and staff also discussed workforce and retention issues tied to the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI). Aguilar noted that many NMMI graduates are recruited out of state and recommended partnerships or incentives at state colleges to retain newly commissioned lieutenants.

The committee’s chair outlined a work plan that includes field meetings in Clovis (June 26), Silver City (mid‑month), Alamogordo (Sept. 15) and Albuquerque (Oct. 16) to visit installations and review topics such as PFOS cleanup, housing, transportation, long-term care and veteran services. A public commenter from the Veterans Integration Center reported that the center operates a 42‑bed transitional facility (census around 36) and is expanding outreach and counseling services for veterans statewide.

The committee did not take formal votes at the meeting; members asked staff to circulate an updated work plan and requested follow-up briefings on veterans’ demographics, ROTC and Space Force presence, and the Veterans Business Chamber of Commerce. The committee adjourned after scheduling and wrap-up comments.