The Virginia Department of Military Affairs State Team provides professional and responsive state support functions to the Adjutant General of Virginia, the National Guard, and the Virginia Defense Force in order to ensure their ability to support and defend the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Professional Support, Service, and Teamwork”

Focus everything we do on “What Right Looks Like”!

We provide support to the Virginia Army and Air National Guard in a diverse range of support functions. Whether we are providing purchasing or State Active Duty support to National Guard Civil Support missions, building new facilities, maintaining current facilities, operating range and training sites, providing human resource and payroll support, managing real property resources, helping give teens a better chance for success at ChalleNGe, teaching STEM to 5th graders at our STARBASE program, or the many other support functions which the State DMA Team is involved in, we need to remember that what we do matters and supports our communities, our citizens, and especially our great Guard Soldiers and Airmen!

These three principles should guide all that we do as state employees in DMA:

Integrity. Do the right thing always, use ethics in all of our actions and decisions. Treat state equipment and resources with respect and take care of it.

Teamwork and Respect. Take care of each other, help your team members to be successful, and live by the Golden Rule. Support your leadership/supervisors, and be loyal. Leaders listen to your staff, be consistent, and care. Success requires us to work together. When you have a problem you can’t resolve, take it to your chain of command with possible solutions. Be positive!

Professionalism. We should all demonstrate professionalism, dedication, and high standards in all that we do….from how we dress, maintain our work areas, or how we talk to other staff or to our customers/visitors.

The reality is this: Everything we do – no matter what our job is – contributes to the Virginia National Guard being ready and capable of executing the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor of Virginia. We all have a key role in building the most ready force!

The Virginia Department of Military Affairs is the state agency that provides leadership and administrative support to the Virginia Army National Guard, Virginia Air National Guard and Virginia Defense Force. DMA plans, coordinates, maintains situational awareness and employs VaARNG, VaANG and VDF forces for homeland security and homeland defense in order to respond to any incidents within the Commonwealth.

Since the attacks of September 11th, 2001, DMA expanded and altered training obligations to include significant requirements for Homeland Security roles that include and greatly exceed the historic role of the National Guard in local disaster response. DMA has met this challenge with aggressive and innovative new concepts of employment and training methods. Of note, is the creation of the 91st Cyber Brigade in 2017 bringing a new cyber defense capability to the Virginia National Guard and recently completed construction on a new $22.5 million state of the art facility for their operation. Virginia National Guard personnel are also winding down from the highest federal mobilizations since 2007; VNG members were deployed all over the world with more than 2,000 Virginia National Guard personnel mobilized for missions in the Middle East, Horn of Africa and Kosovo.

Today, the Virginia National Guard is an agile and effective operational force, equipped with the most modern military equipment, and trained to conduct joint and expeditionary warfare. In addition, the National Guard has embraced the expansion of its domestic emergency role with new organizations and cutting-edge technology which has delivered the capability to respond to a wide range of civil and humanitarian crises. Additionally, the Virginia National Guard adopted an aggressive outreach program in order to coordinate and train with interagency partners including, but not limited to, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), Virginia State Police (VSP), Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) and Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and many local first-response and emergency management agencies.

At the same time, the DMA has expanded the size and role of the Virginia Defense Force, re-orienting its training to focus on standardized training and certification in emergency response duties to standards set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and has integrated Defense Force teams into all response concepts.

The Adjutant General's vision, leadership, and focus on the Department’s key measures and preparedness have made DMA more productive. DMA continues to meet and surpass the National Guard Bureau's personnel strength goal and exceeded the emergency response goal. The Virginia National Guard is more ready, reliable, essential and accessible than in any other time in history and the Defense Force is a set of highly trained emergency responders capable of supplementing a civil response. Over the next several years, DMA plans to conduct an aggressive cycle of exercise-based experimentation to practice increasingly complex response skills and test new plans, technology, and organization against larger, more complex, and more challenging scenarios.

DMA migrated to the federal IT network in 2007 to have more cohesive interoperability with our federal Guard partners.  This greatly improved data communication and file sharing between DMA and our federal counterparts.  Our merger to the federal network has presented challenges when accessing certain state networks and programs.

DMA has several cloud-based software programs in development. When completed these programs will benefit the State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP), assist our finance department with conversion to the new state Cardinal financial system (CCMS), and assist with Governor declared state of emergencies. These software programs are being developed in a Virginia Information Technology Agency approved environment.

The Department of Military Affairs is a unique agency with both federal and state responsibilities. Our federal mission is to provide trained and equipped Army and Air Force National Guard units to support federal missions. Our state mission is to provide trained units in support of the Governor as tasked to assist civil authorities to preserve public safety. DMA is comprised of the core agency staff, the Virginia Army and Air National Guard, and the Virginia Defense Force (VDF), and employs a combination of Soldiers, Airmen, and both federal and state civilian staff. Over 19,000 Guardsmen have deployed overseas since 2001, and nearly 16,000 have responded to events in the homeland. In 2021 DMA supported significant deployments of Guardsmen in the homeland in response to the COVID Pandemic, weather events, and in response to Civil Unrest in Richmond and Washington. In 2021 DMA sustained full agency operations via effective risk mitigation measures for staff on site, balanced with some teleworking. Our effective safety measures resulted in minimal staff health impacts with no loss to agency effectiveness. DMA implemented a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program and ONE VA plan to enhance diversity and inclusion built upon two lines of effort. First, to assess how we are doing and identify gaps, and then to develop staff training to address those gaps. DMA employs approximately 1,600 full time staff in three different statuses: Active Guard Reserve (AGR), uniformed and non-uniformed federal employees, and state employees. Over 8,200 are employed as part time traditional Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen and there are over 400 VDF volunteer members. The employment revenue this brings to the Commonwealth for all employee categories averages $260 million annually, and DMA is supported with federal and state equipment that totals $1.8 billion in value. DMA stands ready to provide support to the Commonwealth at a moment’s notice from facilities across 40 communities in the state. The two largest training sites include the Maneuver Training Center (Nottoway), and State Military Reservation (VA Beach) which provide state of the art training facilities for the National Guard as well as all Department of Defense services; federal, state and local agencies; and foreign military partners. In 2020 these facilities supported over 512,093 (MTC) and 32,213 (SMR) usage days (“man-days”) for training.

DMA has been vigilant in recent years to stand up a New Employee Orientation, Supervisor Training, Technician Training, a Mentorship Program, an Internship Program, and a Succession Plan to prepare for anticipated retirements in the coming years. These programs continue to evolve and have been received positively across the agency, by showing opportunities for growth and advancement within the agency.

Additional steps which are being taken to address gaps that have been identified by state employees include: creating a sponsorship program for new staff to better help them acclimate to the agency and additional training for nonsupervisory staff to include Microsoft courses and other professional development opportunities.

DMA’s Joint Force Headquarters and its Joint Operations Center (JOC) are located in its new Headquarters at the Defense Supply Center Richmond, close to or co-located with the other Commonwealth public safety agencies. As an example of our increased resourcing of state requirements, the Joint Force Headquarters now operates around the clock, 365 days/year Joint Operations Center that maintains real-time contact with the Virginia Emergency Operations Center (VEOC). A designated staff of DMA personnel have been trained and certified to work from the VEOC as a liaison and coordination cell component of the Virginia Emergency Response Team (VERT) during emergencies. Furthermore, three subordinate staff from Joint Task Force Headquarters for disaster response have been designated and are engaged in a regular cycle of emergency response training exercises with other state agencies.

It must be noted that the Commonwealth of Virginia was one of the first states to create a true Joint Force Headquarters that focuses on joint training, joint operations, and that provides an operationally-focused joint staff responsible for operations of both branches of service (Army and Air Guard) and for the Virginia Defense Force.

The Joint Force Headquarters will continue to increase DMA’s readiness and capability by improving its footprint within the Richmond Area. The JOC and other key operations to the Richmond area greatly improved the capability of the Joint Force Headquarters to maintain awareness of incidents, coordinate with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and respond to directives from the Governor. As DMA's preparedness improves and capability increases, we anticipate the demands for our products and services will grow.

Demographic changes have made emergency response potentially more complex than it has been in the past. As an example, the increasingly urban and coastal concentration of population in the Commonwealth makes any response to emergencies in those areas larger in scale, broader in scope, and potentially more complex than has been the case in historic events. This change, as well as budget pressures on local communities and state agencies, may increase implicit reliance on DMA forces for augmentation during emergencies.

A further demographic change is the implications of an aging population on requirements for emergency response. The effects of an aging population are problematic for DMA. The standards for enlistment in the Virginia National Guard are as high as they have ever been. The rising average age of the population of the Commonwealth could affect this recruiting base, particularly in low population rural areas. Additionally, an increase in the aging population could lead to changing or increasing demands on DMA response forces to assist the elderly during an emergency response. DMA mitigates the risk of this demographic change by incorporating scenario elements such as the rescue and transport of the ill, infirm, or elderly into all emergency exercises. The aging population trend could deliver some improved capability for the VDF with its senior staff largely drawn from retired professionals. The VDF possesses a uniquely qualified and educated talent pool, creating a way in which older Commonwealth citizens can continue to civically engage and contribute to the safety and security of their communities.

One of the greatest challenges for the Virginia National Guard is our country's "economic realities" and the reduction of Federal resources. For more than a decade, the National Guard has demonstrated it is a cost-effective, operational force that is critical to our national security at home and abroad. The National Guard force size varies significantly from state to state. The Defense Department determines the size of each state's National Guard unit based upon the needs of that state and the federal government. However, no change in the branch, organization or allotment of a unit entirely within a state can be made without the approval of its governor. Virginia will need to continue to fight sequestration and any proposed cuts to the Federal defense budget.

The federal government provides a significant investment by providing approximately 82% of DMA's operating budget and 100% of the Virginia National Guard's operating budget, at an approximate cost of $350 million annually (this amount varies year to year based on Capital Project funding). DMA supports the VNG's mission that includes use and maintenance of $1.6 billion in Facilities and $1.8 billion in dual status equipment that we currently hold as assets. This shared relationship makes personnel, with their equipment and training, available to the state during emergencies. The Commonwealth’s investment, however, is disproportionately concentrated in the areas of facility maintenance, pay of state employees providing critical services such as contracting and facility security (including the entirety of the Virginia Defense Force when it is mobilized), the Commonwealth Challenge Program, and State Tuition Assistance Program to National Guard personnel. Any reduction of state funds or a lack of additional funds for critical requirements will have a significant negative impact on DMA’s ability to effectively complete its state missions.

Another challenge is recruiting and retention of quality men and women, which in turn directly impacts all missions and objectives. The VNG competes against the Active Duty, Reserves, as well as private and even public institutions that are increasing their benefits in the extremely competitive job market the nation is experiencing. Additionally, most young people aged 18-24 do not meet minimum requirements to be eligible to enlist, and within the small percentage that do meet those standards, there is an extremely low propensity to serve. These factors create a challenging recruiting environment for all services to include the National Guard.

 It will be vital for the Commonwealth of Virginia to support free tuition for Virginia National Guard soldiers and airmen, which would not only provide a tremendous recruiting tool for the Virginia Guard, but also retain and produce professional, well-educated soldiers and airmen. Additionally, the need for repairs, maintenance, and construction of new facilities to include a new Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, the 29th Infantry Division Headquarters at Fort A.P. Hill, the Museum of the Virginia National Guard, and Readiness Centers across the Commonwealth remains an impediment affecting the public’s safety, security, and sheltering. Outdated facilities provide a negative image of the Virginia National Guard and thereby reduce the Guard’s capability to recruit and retain soldiers. The Virginia National Guard has 45 total facilities across the Commonwealth with an average facility age of 40 years. The average condition index is 79 (out of 100) and only 49% of the space required.

Historically, approximately 75% of the DMA funding identified in the Appropriation Act was provided as non-general funds, with the majority of those funds being provided by the federal government. The remaining 25% of the funding was derived from the Commonwealth's general fund. State dollars are used to finance a variety of programs, including (but not limited to) tuition assistance, armory maintenance and repairs, and administrative staff support. As a result of the budget reductions experienced by state agencies over the years, this fund split has changed considerably. For the FY2023 Operating Budget, State general fund dollars make up only 17.6% of the overall DMA funding total, when the funds for tuition assistance are excluded the percentage drops to 13.6%.  Despite the increased state and federal demands, the Commonwealth's general fund support for both capital projects and operating requirements has not kept pace with the availability of federal dollars. Federal dollars that could be received by DMA that require the state to contribute matching funds can increase with enhanced State support. If DMA cannot secure and appropriate matching funds in the timeline required, the agency misses out on fully utilizing all of the available federal dollars.

The Department of Military Affairs revenue is predominately reimbursements of federal expenditures by the National Guard Bureau using cooperative agreements for various initiatives.

Additional statistics and a comprehensive snapshot of the magnitude of DMA operations are avaliable at https://va.ng.mil

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DMA provides trained and equipped personnel, federal equipment, and armories to respond to state emergencies and federal missions to include combat operations abroad. The services offered are specific to the assigned mission and can include the following 11 capability areas: cyber security, joint command and control; chemical, biological, and radiological detection as well as nuclear and conventional explosion recovery; engineering; communications; ground transportation; aviation; medical support; security forces; logistics; and maintenance.

The quality of products and services offered is directly affected by troop strength, quality of training provided to service members, excellence of senior leadership, availability of equipment, adequate communication capabilities (interoperability with other agencies), state-of-the-art facilities, and fiscal resources needed to perform all missions.

Since the attacks of September 11th, 2001, the Virginia National Guard has assumed a much larger and more active role in national military operations overseas. As a result of overseas deployment and the cumulative effects of state missions, the Virginia National Guard has gained valuable experience to respond to all types of missions quickly and accurately. To maintain this valuable capability, DMA requires continuous special training and strategic development that is designed to further promote the skills gained. Consequently, the need for specialized training and strategic development will continue to increase throughout the years. The Virginia National Guard has been called into State Active Duty at a much higher frequency in the past decade, although until recently, additional resources and funding have not been allocated to match the increased utilization. The General Assembly did approve a pay increase for Guardsmen on State Active Duty in 2020 that has made Virginia a leader for SAD pay in the region.

DMA maintains a fully operational Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force (CERF) that is capable of rapid response to such incidents. This capability is in addition to the 34th Civil Support Team, a high-technology team of full-time specialists who are trained to conduct initial assessment and identification of hazardous materials during civil or suspected terrorist incidents. DMA maintains a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and an Incident Response Force (IRF) which are prepared to provide general purpose support to the full range of potential emergencies across the Commonwealth. The 91st Cyber Brigade provides fully operational cyber security capability in support of the Commonwealth and federal missions as needed.

In addition to these capabilities, the Virginia Defense Force (VDF) provides a volunteer-based range of capabilities for Virginia during state emergencies. Bringing diverse professional skills and talents, Virginians continue to volunteer to answer the call of their fellow citizens in times of crisis, disaster, emergency or need as members of the VDF.

VDF units are built with a healthy variety of backgrounds: veterans of the American military, individuals that want to get a taste of what military life may be like, and individuals that may not be able to serve in one of the five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces but want to serve their state. Everyone brings an area of expertise from the public and/or private sectors with the diverse background of each soldier. VDF is an integral part of DMA’s ability to support emergency responses, especially within communications, cyber, and security operations.

The Virginia National Guard continues to sustain a high operational tempo of both federal mobilizations and activations in support of the Commonwealth during periods of emergency. Since 2001, Virginia National Guard forces have mobilized over 18,000 for deployments and over 9,000 in support of homeland emergencies. Additionally, DMA continues to provide significant community service support through its Commonwealth ChalleNGe and STARBASE programs.

The Virginia National Guard’s support to Virginia’s COVID-19 response ended July 31, 2021, after more than 460 days of assisting with vaccinations, testing and administrative, logistics and planning support at locations across the state. During COVID-19 response operations, nearly 600 VNG Soldiers and Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force completed more than 1,100 missions to help keep their fellow Virginians safe during the global pandemic. They supported nearly 160 different local, state and federal agencies over the course of the mobilization.

From August 2021 to February 2022, MTC served as one of eight safe havens in the United States designated to provide transportation, temporary housing, medical screening and general support for Afghan evacuees in permanent or temporary structures.

The VNG had approximately 2,400 personnel on the ground in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20 assisting civilian law enforcement in protecting property and keeping people safe at the 59th Presidential Inauguration. The majority of VNG personnel provided security assistance, but additional personnel provided communications, medical, chaplain, logistics and public information support to their fellow troops and to district and federal agencies. The VNG also had additional Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force on duty providing mission command, logistics, administrative, finance, medical, chaplain and public information support in Virginia.

The Department of Military Affairs worked closely with the federal Naming Commission during the Congressionally-mandated installation renaming process in 2021 and 2022. The DMA worked to identify and engage with key stakeholders, host informational community meetings, and provide suggestions on possible renaming options for Fort Pickett (Maneuver Training Center). The recommended name identified by the Naming Commission for Fort Pickett is Fort Barfoot after Tech Sgt. Van T. Barfoot. The timeline and funding for the renaming process is dependent on Congress.

VANG will be ideally postured to support / host next generation of force structure and emerging new missions.

• Establish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group

• Gain support to fund Readiness Center Trade technicians to full time status.

Recruitment and retention of personnel to ensure mission readiness

• Enhance state benefits for VNG members

To effectively serve the Commonwealth and to complete all assigned missions, the Virginia Defense Force needs to have fully manned and resourced capabilities.

• Reinforce professionalism through a hybrid approach of in-person and virtual platforms

VANG will build trust and maintain lasting partnerships with Joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational partners. Within CONUS and the Commonwealth, the VANG will continue to be a critical supporting agency in the emergency management community and integrated with regional partners.

Strengthening of families and communities by providing the necessary skills to at-risk youth in order to have a successful and meaningful future.

• Strengthen the ChalleNGe Program by adding a Jobs ChalleNGe component

• Outreach to organizations such as the Joint Leadership Council, Virginia Military Advisory Council, National Guard Alumni Network, and National Guard Associations.

• The agency Emergency Coordination Officer will stay in regular communication with the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and other Commonwealth Preparedness Working Group agencies.

VANG will empower and support its subordinate commanders by providing a unified and synchronized intent for every action. VANG clearly informs and influences stakeholders; analyzes VANG processes, staff actions, staff roles & missions to reduce bureaucracy; examines methods to improve knowledge management, organizational structure, manning and resource allocation; establishes a coordinated identity to ensure unity of effort; and evaluates emerging trends that support reform efforts. Systems and their operators experience reduced barriers to needed information and greater productivity throughout the organization. Leaders at all levels accurately assess operations and administrative actions resulting in lower costs and greater effectiveness.

• Expand Leader Development Course and Supervisor Course completion for DMA leaders/supervisors to at least 2 courses per year

• Develop gneral and position-specific continuity (transition) binder concept for supervisors, department heads, and other designated positions.

By establishing new partnerships with communities, educational institutions, and businesses across the Commonwealth, DMA will strengthen our recruiting pool both for critical state positions and uniformed service, by increasing awareness and understanding of the opportunities available.

• Establish partnership for trades apprenticeships Memorandum of Agreement with Southside Virginia Community College

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Sustain high morale and support service members and their families.

Free tuition at Virginia colleges and universities, with the option to transfer that benefit to a dependent, would significantly enhance recruiting and retention as well as raise morale among families.

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This goal ensures compliance with federal and state regulations, policies and procedures for Commonwealth preparedness, as well as guidelines and best practices promulgated by the Assistant to the Governor for Commonwealth Preparedness, in collaboration with the Governor’s Cabinet, the Commonwealth Preparedness Working Group, the Department of Planning and Budget and the Council on Virginia’s Future. The goal supports achievement of the Commonwealth’s statewide goal of protecting the public's safety and security, ensuring a fair and effective system of justice and providing a prepared response to emergencies and disasters of all kinds.

Establish and maintain statewide interoperability communications in support of disaster response and contingency operations. It is imperative that DMA is able to communicate with other state agencies and local responders during emergency or contingency operations as directed by the Governor of Virginia.

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Supporting planning and operations by providing a deployable voice communications capability to partner localities and state agencies

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• The agency Emergency Coordination Officer will stay in regular communication with the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and other Commonwealth Preparedness Working Group agencies.

Develop modern and functional facilities for training and operations.

• Renovate Building 316 at the Maneuver Training Center to support Live, Virtual, and Constructive Training

In order to provide efficient, effective, and specialized training for Virginia National Guard members, it is vital to continue investing funds into Fort Pickett and Camp Pendleton.

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To date, many armories are in need of significant maintenance repairs. Outdated and deteriorated armories have a negative effect on the Commonwealth, the Virginia National Guard, and the citizens of Virginia. Current industry standard cost for operations and maintenance of facilities is $7.45 per square foot. However, when compared to industry standards DMA remains underfunded, with an average per square foot cost of $6.25. Therefore, in order to provide, sustain, and maintain state-of-the-art facilities necessary for homeland defense and emergency response, additional investments for armory maintenance and repairs are necessary.

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This service area provides financial assistance to eligible Virginia National Guard members enrolled in any state, private, accredited, or non-profit institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. To qualify for financial assistance, the Guardsman must agree to a two-year service commitment subsequent to the completion of the most-recent course for which tuition assistance was paid, pass random drug screening, meet  academic benchmarks, and satisfactorily perform their state and federal assignments. The State Tuition Assistance Program provides the Virginia National Guard with recruiting and retention incentives that are not available to Active and Reserve branches of service. In addition to serving as a tremendous recruiting tool for the Virginia National Guard, this program also produces higher quality, professional soldiers and airmen.

This service area supports the agency’s mission by recruiting and retaining soldiers and airmen for the Virginia National Guard that are essential for performing the growing number of state and federal missions.

Financial assistance for post-secondary education.

Highly professional, well-educated, soldiers and airmen.

The Tuition Assistance Program is funded 100 percent with state general funds and is used to provide tuition grants for eligible Virginia National Guard members seeking higher education.

The Virginia Commonwealth Challenge Program was created with the purpose of intervening in the lives of at-risk youth and providing them with the values, skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as adults and become productive citizens. The 22-week residential phase of the program is structured in a military-style environment that promotes academic excellence, leadership/followership, responsible citizenship, physical fitness, health/hygiene, life-coping skills, job skills, and service to community.

This Virginia Commonwealth Challenge Program not only benefits society by producing productive and law-abiding graduates, but also assists young Virginians in continuing their education, finding a meaningful place of employment, or entering one of the branches of the armed services.

By providing a military-style education setting, the Challenge Program not only produces productive and law abiding citizens, but also serves as a catalyst for youth to enter armed forces, including the Virginia National Guard.

Provides the potential of earning a GED.

Twenty-five percent of the program cost is covered by the state, while the remaining seventy -five percent is paid by the federal government. The administrative requirements for the program are mandated by the federal government.

This Department of Defense youth outreach program raises the interest in STEM careers and improves the knowledge and skills of our nation’s at-risk youth so that we may develop a highly educated and skilled American workforce who can meet the advance technological requirements of the Department of Defense. The Winchester STARBASE Academy implements curriculum as approved by the STARBASE Curriculum Committee and made available through the dodstarbase.org website. Core content areas include physics, chemistry sciences, technology, engineering, mathematic operations and applications, and career exploration of science engineering and technologically related fields.

STARBASE exposes our Commonwealth’s youth to the technological environments and positive civilian and military role models found on Active, Guard, and Reserve military bases and installations, nurture a winning network of collaborators, and build mutual loyalty within our communities by providing 25 hours of exemplary hands-on instruction and activities that meet or exceed the National Standards.

• A goal of STARBASE is to enrich knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics objectives addressed by STARBASE classroom instruction.


• Further, STARBASE aims to show positive gains in knowledge and skills as indicated by national assessment scores as well as increase motivation toward the successful study of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.


• Importantly, the third objective of STARBASE is to increase positive attitude toward the military and motivation toward the successful pursuit of military careers and careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

This program is 100% federally reimbursed and has a very lean budget.

This service area provides resources for the operation, repair, and maintenance of 42 armories located throughout the Commonwealth. Armories are stand-alone facilities that contain classrooms, storage areas for military equipment, parking areas for service members and, in most instances, an arms vault.

Armories serve as central locations for training and recruiting of service members into the Virginia National Guard. They are focal assembly points from which homeland defense and emergency response activities take place. Additionally, armories are also used for civic events. Furthermore, under the current emergency preparedness requirements, these facilities are available to be used as shelters for citizens of the Commonwealth.

Operation and maintenance of armories

Armory repair and maintenance are funded in a variety of ways. Some armories are 100 percent federally funded; others are 100 percent state and/or locally supported. Furthermore, a number of armories are financed through a combination of federal, state, and local funds. Current back logged maintenance equals $43 million based upon recent level III facility assessments.

Current the Department of Defense (DOD) facility guidelines cost for operations and maintenance of facility sis $8.41 per square foot. However, when compared to industry standards the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) is underfunded, with an average per square foot cost of $5.48. If neglected, these facilities may have negative consequences on DMA’s productivity and performance.

This service Area was created to manage the federal funds provided to DMA to repair and rebuild the buildings and grounds at Fort Pickett that were damaged or modified during the Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) activities.  The funds were provided through the Cooperative Agreement program but must be accounted for separately. 

This service area performs the contracting and oversight to reconstitute Fort Pickett to enable the base to perform its mission.

Contract administration and compliance, ensure efficiency and quality service from the contractors performing the reconstitution work.

The Virginia Defense Force (VDF), with a target membership of 1,100 by January 2011, is organized within and subject to control of the Department of Military Affairs. VDF provides an adequately trained state reserve militia capable of assuming control of Virginia National Guard facilities, securing any state property in the event of full mobilization of the Guard, and is an integral part of the overall preparedness and response force available to serve the citizens of Virginia in cases of an emergency.

At the call of the Adjutant General, the Virginia Defense Force is capable of assisting the Commonwealth and/or the Virginia National Guard on all state missions for peacetime and disaster response.

In addition to assisting the Virginia National Guard, the Virginia Defense Force provides various forms of support to local communities. In 2008, VDF provided over 85,000 volunteer hours to the Commonwealth, which includes training, weekend drills, and community support. Additionally, VDF completed 26 active homeland security missions that were coordinated with local, state, and federal authorities. Together, this equates to nearly $1.7 million in free volunteer hours in preparation and execution of homeland security missions and execution of community support projects.

The Virginia Defense Force is supported 100 percent with state general funds. Although the force provides a wide variety of services to the Commonwealth, it has not been adequately funded. As a result, members, who receive no salaries, routinely have to purchase equipment and supplies with personal funds.

This service area provides physical and electronic security for the Army Air Support Facility in Sandston, Fort Pickett in Blackstone, and Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach.

Proper security measures that prevent and detect unauthorized access to facilities are essential for all military installations. Without adequate security, operations could easily be disrupted and missions jeopardized.

Physical and electronic security of DMA installations throughout the Commonwealth.

Physical security and electronic security are 100 percent funded with federal resources. Law enforcement personnel at Fort Pickett, which was funded with state general funds, was eliminated in January 2009 as a result of state budget reductions.

Fort Pickett, also known as the Maneuver Training Center (MTC), is a 41,000+ acre military training installation that is operated by the Virginia Army National Guard. The installation consists of 1.5 million square feet of buildings, over 200 miles of tank trails, numerous training facilities and villages, an active airfield and over 20 other live fire ranges that support training across DoD and various federal, state, and local agencies. This Maneuver Training Center hosts several tenants and is also home to the 183rd Regiment (Regional Training Institute). Camp Pendleton, also known as the State Military Reservation (SMR), consists of numerous buildings used for classroom training, conferences, and training simulators. It also offers maritime forest and beach training areas as well as limited live fire capability. Several Virginia Army Guard units are stationed here to include 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Alpha and Charlie Troop 1/183rd Cav, and 1173rd Transportation BN. This Collective Training Center is also home to the Virginia Commonwealth Challenge Program, and the Virginia Air Guard 203rd Red Horse Squadron. The SMR is conveniently adjacent to the Virginia Beach Readiness Center, which is the headquarters for the 329th Regional Support Group.

Both MTC and SMR provide the Virginia National Guard with a wide range of service and support that is essential for successful administration and operation of the organization, as well as critical education and training for development of Guardsmen. Well-trained service members are vital for an effective response to state and federal missions.

The construction of the U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) at Fort Pickett has provided opportunities for joint utilization of training facilities at the installation.

Provides infrastructure for training of soldiers for state and federal missions.



Allows billeting of soldiers and/or families while utilizing SMR and/or MTC.

Both MTC and SMR receive substantial federal funds for maintenance and repair.

This service area includes operations covered by federal/state cooperative agreements, including organizational maintenance shops, Waller Depot (logistics warehouse), Virginia Air National Guard facilities, Army Aviation Support facilities, Distance Learning, and Environmental Activities.

Operation and maintenance of areas detailed in the service area description are vital for DMA's efficient and effective response to state and federal missions.

Operation and maintenance of logistics-related facilities

The state provides 25 percent of the funding for some of the activities in this area, while the federal government finances the remaining 75 percent of those activities and 100 percent of the remaining activities.

The amount for Disaster Planning and Operations provides for a military contingent fund, out of which to pay the military forces of the Commonwealth when aiding the civil authorities.

If funding was made available to support the Commonwealth it would be placed in this program.

The amount for Disaster Planning and Operations provides for a military contingent fund, out of which to pay the military forces of the Commonwealth when aiding the civil authorities.

This service area performs the support functions of human resources, budgeting, accounting, planning, procurement and management.

This service area provides administrative support needed in order to achieve DMA's mission. The administrative staff ensures compliance with related state and federal laws, regulations, policies and procedures.

Human resource services, accounting services, procurement services, planning services, and budgeting services.

The Commonwealth provides the majority of the funding for the administrative support services of the agency.

This service area performs the support functions of human resources, budgeting, accounting, planning, procurement and management.

This service area provides administrative support needed in order to achieve DMA's mission. The administrative staff ensures compliance with related state and federal laws, regulations, policies and procedures.

Human resource services, accounting services, procurement services, planning services, and budgeting services.

This program/service area provides the funding and personnel for DMA’s telecommunications, IT operations, funding for VITA costs, and DMA cyber project funding.

This service area provides telecommunications and IT support needed in order to achieve DMA's mission. The TELCO and IT staff ensures compliance with related state and federal laws, regulations, policies and procedures.

Telecommunications and IT services