Gov. Ron DeSantis yesterday released his Bolder, Brighter, Better Future budget recommendations, which includes key funding initiatives for the Florida National Guard.
The Governor’s Bolder, Brighter, Better Future budget includes funding for seawall reinforcement to protect the Florida National Guard’s headquarters in St. Augustine, and to replace the Panama City Readiness Center, which was damaged during Hurricane Michael and is now uninhabitable. The budget also invests more than $1 million into the state’s Educational Dollars for Duty program, which provides tuition assistance for Guardsmen at public or private institutions in Florida. Additionally, the budget recommends upgrades to Florida National Guard communication capabilities by including
satellite terminals that would enable communication in disaster areas where cellular and other traditional communication methods are inoperable or nonexistent.
“This year’s Bolder, Brighter, Better Future budget proposal reflects the Governor’s support for our Guardsmen, and by extension, the citizens of our great state,” said Maj. Gen. James Eifert, the Adjutant General of the Florida National Guard. “The state’s commitment to rebuilding the Panama City armory destroyed by Hurricane Michael will help the community recover and the Florida National Guard be better prepared for other emergencies in the panhandle. Likewise, supporting the Educational Dollars for Duty enables our Guardsmen to continue their education, which helps them in their
civilian jobs as well as their military duties.”
To learn more about the Bolder, Brighter, Better Future budget, visit bolderbrighterbetterfuture.com.
