Delaware National Guard Major General James Benson told the Joint Finance Committee that Delaware’s battalion expects an approximately 5.1% reduction to its federal funding for fiscal year 2027, which drops it to $125 million.
The National Guard is predominantly funded with federal money, allocated by Congress. Benson told the Committee federal reductions are driven by changes in the national defense budget.
But Benson said the DNG is still funded to its minimal requirements.
"There's no more fat, so to speak," he said. "All that's been cut. But any mandatory and minimum requirements, we're funded at that level– except for the personnel piece, which we did experience cuts."
Because of voluntary retirements, it only had to eliminate five positions. And two of these people were able to get rehired into different jobs with the DNG.
But state funding in Gov. Meyer’s recommended budget remains relatively stable at $6.4 million of general funds, up slightly from this year.
Not part of the recommended budget is the guard’s ask of $63 thousand to supplement budgetary shortfalls and inflation.
Brian Maxwell, Delaware's Office of Management and Budget Director, said the exclusion is small, considering the federal fund total.
“I don't think we took too much of a reduction in this area," Maxwell said. "We took away some of the stuff that they weren't spending, as far as their 1% reduction. But we didn't cut them more, given the fact they've been experiencing inflationary increases."
The state budget granted the guard’s request of $31 thousand dollars to help cover the River Road Readiness Center in New Castle, which Benson said will come online this spring.
The additional funding will cover energy, public utilities, lawn care, and other maintenance and contractual services at that facility.
