Florida’s National Guard Is Stretched Thin—It’s Time to Authorize More Troops
Sen. Ashley Moody leads the push to expand a force still sized for decades past, even as Floridians rely on it more than ever.
From the Panhandle to the Keys, when a hurricane hits, Floridians count on the National Guard to show up. But a force sized for the Florida of decades must do far more than it was built for. Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) is leading an effort to change that.
Moody and others are calling for an expansion of the Florida National Guard (FNG). It currently has one of the smallest per-capita allocations—ranking 53rd out of 54 states and territories with a guard component—but carries one of the heaviest operational burdens.
Florida’s total allocation for the FNG has remained at roughly 12,000 for decades despite the population’s significant growth. Maj. Gen. John Haas, the senior military advisor to Gov. Ron DeSantis, testified in 2025 that a proper ratio would more than double the current FNG force structure.
One main concern highlighted in the letter Moody and other advocates sent to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is the rate of retention due to high deployment demands. This year, state leaders pointed out that the FNG “expended as many workdays in eighteen months as it had in the preceding twenty years.” Currently, FNG members are called out 106 days a year, while the statutory required amount is 39 duty days.
Restoration of America Foundation (ROAF) supports the efforts to increase the FNG. “The size of the Florida National Guard has not kept up with the Free State of Florida's explosive growth,” said Doug Truax, the founder and CEO of ROAF. “The Trump administration can fix this. As a military veteran, I understand what it takes to keep a force mission-ready. I want to thank Senator Moody and every member of the Florida delegation that signed this letter to lead the charge on this important effort."
Florida has a large recruiting pool to draw from, and state military leadership believes it can use to fill the ranks if given the authorization.
The FNG traces its heritage to 1565 when the Spanish organized their first company of citizen soldiers in St. Augustine. Florida is the nation’s most hurricane-prone state, and its citizens rely on the FNG to help in times of need. Guardsmen serve from the Panhandle to the Keys, responding to community needs during times of disaster. The force also trains and serves in the national defense of America, including overseas deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the war on terror.
Moody points out that the FNG plays a crucial role in homeland defense and “ensuring American dominance across the Western Hemisphere.” As such, it deserves the resources it needs to do the job.
Florida’s National Guard has answered the call, protecting Floridians during natural disasters and serving all Americans on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet, a force still sized for a much smaller state must do more than its resources provide. Moody and her colleagues are right: it is time to give the FNG the resources and end-strength it needs. With Florida’s large recruiting pool and proven leadership ready to fill the ranks, the Trump administration has a clear opportunity to restore a mission-ready force that can protect the Free State of Florida and help ensure American dominance across the Western Hemisphere.
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