Feb. 21–CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Current West Virginia National Guard Adjutant General James Hoyer and his predecessor, Allen Tackett, publicly thanked the state’s congressional delegation Monday for leading the charge to get the National Guard a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Earlier this year, the chief of the National Guard was formally elevated to the post, cementing the Guard’s role as a voice in national military policy.

It’s something Tackett said he lobbied to get for almost 14 years. He was glad to see it finally become a reality with a bill sponsored by West Virginia’s congressional representatives last year.

He and Hoyer thanked the delegation Monday during a meeting with Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin and Rep. Nick Rahall, all D-W.Va., at the Guard’s Center for National Response.

“Since the beginning, all we were asking is for someone to listen to us because we can do things cost-effectively and do it timely,” Hoyer said.

“Had it not been for West Virginia and the West Virginia delegation, had it not been for the introduction of those bills, it would not have happened.”

“It was the biggest legislation for the Guard in over 100 years,” Tackett said. “I know you will see the results of that very quickly.”

Since 9/11, many Guard members have been deployed overseas. Tackett and Hoyer have argued that the increased role should warrant a voice from the Guard on national defense policies.

Tackett said before 9/11 the argument against elevating the Guard to the Joint Chiefs centered around doubts the units could handle large-scale overseas operations.

Tackett said the last decade has proven those doubters wrong.

“They can’t say anymore that you can’t depend on the Guard to do the federal mission, because we’ve proven over the last 11 years that no matter what mission we’ve been assigned, we’ve been able to do it — and do it better,” he said.

Hoyer and Tackett have said while the former Joint Chiefs’ Guard representatives from the Army and Air Force did a good job representing the Guard in overseas affairs, they couldn’t fully grasp all of the force’s domestic responsibilities.

“Our active duty counterparts are there to fight the nation’s wars — our away wars,” Tackett said. “But the No. 1 goal of the Department of Defense is homeland defense.

“Yet on that joint staff, nobody knows what our military does with the Department of Homeland Security to keep the American taxpayers safe — and they’re the ones paying for it,” he said.

Tackett said national military leaders would be able to shape policies that support overseas missions and ensure that military resources at the state level aren’t drained.

“Governors need more assets, not less,” he said. “What you all have done in putting the chief there on the joint staff, and him having a voice at all levels of decision making will do a great deal to help the American people and keep them safe in the years to come.”

Contact writer Jared Hunt at jared.hunt@dailymail.com or 304-348-5148.