Missouri Guard's adjutant general touts organization's growth at Missouri Press Association Convention

Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, speaks about his organizations' growth and its impact on the state economy at the Missouri Press Association Convention and Tradeshow at Lodge of the Four Seasons.
(Photo by Matthew J. Wilson)

By Matthew J. Wilson
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

LAKE OZARK, Mo. - Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, spoke of his organizations' growth and its impact on the state economy recently at the Missouri Press Association Convention and Tradeshow at Lodge of the Four Seasons.

The Missouri Guard employs more than 12,000 Citizen-Soldiers, Citizen-Airmen and federal and state civilians.

"When Missouri suffers, we suffer and when Missouri prospers, the Guard prospers," Danner said. "As adjutant general, I've seen it as my mission to ensure that the Missouri National Guard is doing everything it can to help the state through these tough economic times. We do that by providing jobs and resources."

Among current Guard projects, Danner included a multi-million dollar building projects at the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport, a $19 million improvement project at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, as well as Guard training site improvements at Jefferson City, Macon, Neosho and Nevada.

"Most of the money has come from the federal government to the National Guard Bureau and also the Federal Aviation Administration," Danner said. "That's also creating jobs."

After the recent addition of a helicopter medical evacuation unit in Springfield, the Missouri Guard will continue to expand with the add-on of a truck platoon from the New Mexico Guard and an Engineer Sapper Company from Arizona Guard in the near future.

Next year, Missouri also will be home to one of the National Guard's 10 Homeland Response Force packages, a unit that has the capability to assist during incidents that include chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive incidents. It will be comprised of about 568 members, of which 90 will be full time.

"Each new unit and each new training site makes more jobs for our Guardsmen and more jobs for Missourians," Danner said. "We're not resting on our laurels. Even after nine years at war and more state emergencies than I can keep track, I can tell you that the Missouri National Guard is the most well seasoned professional force that Missouri has ever had. Whenever we see the possibility of bringing more units and more jobs to Missouri, we've pressed even harder. Maybe that's why the National Guard Bureau has been jumping at the chance to help us achieve that goal."

Danner said the reason for the National Guard Bureau's backing is that Missouri Guard has the desire, means and manpower to support the growth.

"Missouri has never turned down a mission that we were given," Danner said. "The Missouri National Guard Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen are the best there are, and the National Guard knows that. That's why we are called upon to fulfill missions that other states or the active component cannot fulfill."

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.