AUSTIN, Texas – The Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Frank J. Grass, visited the Texas National Guard headquarters at Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas, June 17, 2016, along with his senior enlisted advisor Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell O. Brush.
During the visit, they met with key leaders from the Texas Air and Army National Guards to discuss operations within the Lone Star State.
“This is the best thing we get to do,” said Grass. “We love getting out and seeing what happens on the ground. The real world is out here and what you do every day. We are very happy to be here.”
Grass currently serves as a military adviser to the president, secretary of Defense and National Security Council and is the Department of Defense's official channel of communication to the governors and state adjutants general on all matters pertaining to the National Guard.
“Just about every trip I take, I find out something that I didn’t know the National Guard was doing around the world,” said Grass.
After an operations brief from Texas National Guard leaders, it was Grass’ turn to brief Texas service members and thank them for their hard work and dedication to country. Grass expressed to Texas Soldiers and Airmen what a great opportunity it’s been to understand the different roles within the Guard and to actually share that information with people at the Capitol and people inside the Army and Air Force.
“You have two state partners, both Czech Republic, as well as Chile, and what you do there is so great. It has become so valuable all the way to the president of the U.S.”
Grass and Brush held a town hall meeting to talk with service members about past, present, and future operations within the National Guard as well as the Guards’ State Partnership Program, which currently includes 70 unique security partnerships with 76 nations globally.
“It could be any one of our units that are building that mission whether it’s the war fight, the homeland or the partnerships,” said Grass. “Think about what’s happening this year in Texas alone. And between those three missions, says how heavily you’re engaged…every day there’s something happening.”
With this visit, Grass has officially visited all the states of America. “Fifty four states, territories and the District of Columbia and he saved Texas for last,” said Brush.
As a part of his Texas tour, the leaders went on to visit a local gym where Grass caught up with mixed martial arts fighter and Texas Guardsmen, Sgt. 1st Class Tim Kennedy.
Lastly, Grass took a trip to Fort Hood, Texas, where he met with soldiers from the Mississippi and Kansas National Guard during their annual training.