Idaho owes its national guard troops better than JFAC is giving them | Opinion

Last week, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) reviewed the budget for Idaho’s Military Division. This division oversees the Idaho National Guard, Emergency Management, Public Safety Communications and Emergency Medical Services. It has more than 460 employees and operates on an annual budget of roughly $116 million. Most of that funding, more than $90 million, comes from the federal government. About $10 million comes from Idaho taxpayers.

Inside that large budget was a small but very important line item: restoring $190,800 for the State Education Assistance Program. That funding helps members of our Idaho National Guard continue their education. These men and women serve our state and our nation with honor. When wildfires burn, floods rise or winter storms hit, they show up. When our country calls, they deploy. They leave behind families, jobs and classrooms to answer that call.

I support funding this program. Education assistance is not a handout. It is part of the national guard’s overall compensation. It is part of the promise we made to them when they signed up to serve.

Guard members must first use all available federal education benefits. Only after those benefits are exhausted can they apply for state assistance to cover what tuition remains. This is a last-dollar program. It fills the gap, so a Guard member can finish a degree, complete a technical certification, or gain skills that benefit both them and our state.

The committee vote last Friday represents the second time the Military Division budget has failed to pass JFAC because of this $190,800 education assistance issue. The first failed vote happened on February 20. In both cases, the disagreement over restoring this education assistance prevented the budget from moving forward.

In a $116 million budget, $190,800 is a very small fraction. But to a young soldier trying to complete nursing school, earn a welding certificate or finish a business degree, it can mean everything. This investment strengthens our Guard.

A more educated force is better prepared, more capable, and more competitive. Education benefits also play an important role in recruitment and retention. When young men and women consider joining the Guard, they look closely at education opportunities. When experienced members decide whether to stay, those benefits matter.

Idaho ranks near the bottom nationally in state-level education support for Guard members. Other states invest more in their citizen-soldiers. I believe we should do better.

The conversation is not about a large expansion of government. It is about keeping a commitment to the men and women who step forward to serve.

If we truly support our National Guard, we should show it in our actions and in our budgets. Words of appreciation are important. Standing ovations are meaningful. But when it comes time to make budget decisions, that is where our priorities are revealed.

I strongly support the $190,800 for education assistance for our military men and women. It is responsible. It is reasonable. And it honors the commitment they make to all of us.

Supporting our Guard should not be complicated. We should fund this program.

Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls, represents Legislative District 32.