Governor Eric Greitens (R) announced Tuesday in Jefferson City that 800 new Missouri National Guard jobs are coming to the Show-Me State.
Missouri Governor Eric Greitens speaks to reporters at the Jefferson City Memorial Airport on October 10, 2017 (Brian Hauswirth photo)
Greitens and Missouri National Guard Adjutant General Stephen Danner made the announcement during a press conference at the Jefferson City Memorial Airport.
Greitens tells the Capitol Press Corps he’s been working closely with Danner since January, to support and “grow” the Guard.
“Lots of transportation units, military police units, some cyber units that all going to be coming to Missouri,” Greitens says. “But these are 800 new jobs that are coming into the state of Missouri.”
The governor says the 800 new Missouri Guard jobs will have a $15 million economic impact.
“Some of these units are being transferred from other states into Missouri,” says Greitens. “And this is something we’ve had conversations with the National Guard Bureau, Army and Air Force leadership, through my service on the Council of Governors, we’ve been talking with other governors and other Adjutant Generals about.”
Greitens describes transportation as “an incredibly important military skill set.” The new jobs include a new Transportation Battalion in southeast Missouri’s Fredericktown and a new Transportation Company in southwest Missouri’s Anderson and Monett.
“In the middle of a tornado, an ice storm, historic flooding, when we need to open up roads and we need to make sure that transportation is working freely so that emergency services can get in and out, that’s a critical role that our National Guard can play,” Greitens says.
The new units also include the 1231st Transportation Company in Bridgeton and Columbia and the 1136th Military Police Company in Lebanon and Rolla.
Greitens and the Guard say that by the end of 2019, the new 1251st Transportation Company in Farmington and Perryville is expected to be in place, along with the 529th Trial Defense Team in Jefferson City and the 1135th Maintenance Company in Kansas City.
The governor tells reporters that he’s assisting in recruiting for the Missouri National Guard, saying men and women learn leadership, teamwork and service in the Guard. Greitens also notes the new jobs include access to health care and education benefits.
Greitens says the new units “are the result of direct negotiations” with the National Guard Bureau and other states.
Missouri has about 9,300 Army National Guard soldiers.
The Missouri National Guard website notes the National Guard is the only military branch that supports both the President and the governor of the Guard’s home state. It’s called a dual mission.
The website notes “the Missouri National Guard answers to both President Donald Trump and Governor Eric Greitens.”
Missouri Governor Eric Greitens briefed Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and the Capitol Press Corps on October 10, 2017 at the Jefferson City Memorial Airport. Click here to listen to the full media briefing:
