A $2.4 billion National Guard wish list for new fighter jets and modern facilities is on Congress’s desk, but you can bet the bureaucrats are already fumbling over dollars while our Guard units fly museum pieces and China builds a new air force every week.
At a Glance
- National Guard Bureau submits $2.4 billion in unfunded priorities, demanding F-15EX and F-35 fighters for the Air National Guard.
- Congress has a well-documented history of shortchanging the Guard, fueling a growing gap between active and reserve forces.
- The Guard’s aging jets are a glaring risk to national security, even as politicians pour billions into pet projects and overseas schemes.
- Defense contractors and local economies stand to benefit if Congress finally funds real military readiness instead of more government waste.
National Guard’s Unfunded Priorities: A Shopping List Congress Loves to Ignore
Every year, the National Guard Bureau sends Congress a “please save us” list—officially called the Unfunded Priorities List—packed with the gear our Guard desperately needs but somehow never makes it into whatever the Pentagon’s flavor-of-the-month budget is. This year, that tab is a jaw-dropping $2.4 billion, with over $1 billion earmarked for nine F-15EX fighters for the 123rd, 194th, and 122nd squadrons. This isn’t about fancy toys; it’s about basic capability. Our Air National Guard is stuck flying relics from the Cold War, while the Pentagon throws gold-plated contracts at defense giants for active-duty units. Once again, the Guard is left to scrounge for scraps—even though they’re the ones we call whenever disaster hits home or enemies start rattling sabers on the world stage.
This is not a new problem. Congress invented the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation (NGREA) back in the 1980s because even then, the Guard got the hand-me-downs. Fast forward to today, and the situation is somehow worse. The Guard’s Unfunded Priorities List is less a “wish list” and more a desperate plea for survival, and it keeps growing every year—because the folks in D.C. would rather subsidize gender studies programs for Afghan goat herders than keep our own skies safe.
Aging Jets, Empty Promises, and the Washington Two-Step
The Air National Guard’s current fighter fleet is a cautionary tale in government neglect. Most Guard units still fly ancient F-15s and F-16s—jets that cost a fortune to maintain and can barely keep up with modern threats. The Pentagon’s shiny new recapitalization plan? Yeah, it’s all about the active-duty Air Force; the Guard can wait. Meanwhile, our adversaries aren’t waiting for congressional hearings or bureaucratic white papers. China and Russia are churning out fifth-generation fighters and hypersonic weapons, and our Guard pilots are left holding the bag, told to be “resourceful” with jets that should be in museums.
Yet, every year, Congress throws the Guard a few bones—partial funding here, a couple of new hangars there—while ignoring the real need: modern jets and enough personnel to keep them flying. The Guard’s FY26 request isn’t just about planes; it’s about keeping skilled airmen, boosting local economies around Guard bases, and actually being able to defend the homeland. Instead, the Guard has to fight tooth and nail for every dollar, while the federal government writes blank checks for every “emergency” south of the border or overseas.
Who Benefits and Who Gets Stiffed?
If Congress ever gets its act together and funds the National Guard’s full $2.4 billion request, the winners are obvious: Guard personnel and their families get safer, more capable equipment; local businesses near Guard bases see a surge in jobs and investment; and the U.S. defense industry finally gets to crank out jets for Americans—not just for export or the Pentagon’s favorite pet projects. But if history is any guide, expect the same old story: partial funding, more studies, and a lot of congressional grandstanding about “supporting our troops” while they let the Guard limp along with 40-year-old jets.
This is about priorities—and Congress’s record is crystal clear. They’ll fund endless “humanitarian” programs for illegal aliens and rewrite the dictionary for every new woke agenda, but when it comes to keeping American citizens safe with a strong Guard, suddenly the checkbook slams shut. It’s government spending run amok—unless, of course, you’re a lobbyist or a politically favored contractor with an address inside the Beltway.
The Stakes: National Security, Not Political Theater
Defense analysts and military scholars agree: the Guard’s ancient jets are a risk to national security, and the gap between Guard and active-duty forces is an open invitation for our enemies to test American resolve. The F-15EX offers a quick, cost-effective way to replace the flying antiques, while the F-35 brings unmatched stealth and sensor technology. But here’s the punchline: every year Congress dithers, those jets get more expensive, and the risk grows.
It’s not just about new planes. It’s about retaining skilled pilots, boosting morale, and making sure the next time disaster strikes—or a foreign adversary tests our defenses—the Guard is ready. Because if Congress keeps playing politics with our security, the only ones celebrating will be in Beijing and Moscow. Maybe it’s time our representatives stop funding every progressive pipe dream and start treating the Guard’s priorities as what they are: a non-negotiable part of defending America.
