Budget Restrictions Force V.I. National Guard To Cancel Training

The Virgin Islands National Guard was forced to cut back on training and other programs due to budget shortfalls affecting the department on the national level, the V.I. National Guard has announced.

Facing a budget shortfall of $101 million, National Guard branches from around the U.S. and in the Virgin Islands made changes in light of the new reality.

“During the month of September and this past weekend, the Virgin Islands National Guard had to cancel training due to budget restrictions on a national level,” said National Guard spokesperson, Karen Williams.

Williams added that the V.I. National Guard “was asked to return year-end funds to the National Guard Bureau–meaning the states and territories to help make up the budget shortfall, and that budget shortfall right now only affects the Army National Guard, not the Air National Guard, and in the Virgin Islands National Guard we have both army and air elements.”

According to a release on the National Guard Bureau’s website, the budget shortfall only applies to fiscal year 2014, so only activities this month will be affected as the National Guard’s fiscal year ends on September 30.

Events canceled over the weekend included the Virgin Islands National Guard monthly Training Assembly, also known as drills, a move the Adjutant General, Major Renaldo Rivera, is concerned will cause a financial hardship for some.

“Virgin Islands National Guard remains committed to service, committed to leveraging all available resources–and there are many available, to ensure that soldiers are able to maintain their families and financial obligations,” Williams said, adding that the V.I. National Guard is aware the delay this month in training will affect guardsmen paycheck for the month of September.

Williams also apologized on behalf of the National Guard to soldiers, their family members and the overall community who may have planned to attend any of these events, and offered help to those in need of assistance.

“The V.I. National Guard has a number of resources that can help soldiers and their families at this time,” Williams made known, encouraging those who need help to contact their respective branches. She also said notifications will be sent out concerning rescheduling of drills and other activities.