I’ve served in the Air National Guard as a full-time Active Guard Reserve (AGR) for over twenty years. I’ve deployed overseas, responded to disasters here at home, and stood ready whenever my state or nation called. But today, I’m writing anonymously—not because I want to hide, but because I have to.

You see, despite my decades of service, I’m not allowed to publicly support the Defend the Guard Act without facing potential repercussions. It’s a fine line we AGRs walk—full-time military professionals who are expected to serve quietly, even when policies threaten the very mission we signed up to support.

Yet, while I must remain silent, I’ve watched two-star generals stand before legislative committees, in uniform, lobbying for policies that extend endless wars and stretch the Guard beyond its limits. The hypocrisy is staggering.

The Defend the Guard Act ensures that National Guard troops can only be deployed into active combat overseas if Congress issues a formal declaration of war, as required by the U.S. Constitution. It’s not anti-military. It’s not anti-mission. It’s about ensuring that the Guard remains ready for its primary role: defending our states and communities first.

But as an AGR, I’m considered “active duty” under Title 10 status, which means speaking out on legislation—even legislation that directly affects my job and my family’s well-being—could lead to disciplinary action. I could be reprimanded, demoted, or even discharged for voicing support for a bill designed to protect both the Constitution and the readiness of our National Guard.

Meanwhile, senior officers—generals with stars on their shoulders—freely walk the halls of our state capitols, in full uniform, advocating for policies that continue the cycle of undeclared wars. They face no consequences. No reprimands. No threats to their careers. They’re protected by the very system that silences those of us actually carrying out the missions.

While generals lobby for more deployments, AGRs like me see the consequences firsthand.

When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, it was the National Guard—not active-duty forces—that led the relief efforts. Active-duty commanders stepped aside because of posse comitatus, the law that prevents federal troops from engaging in domestic law enforcement. The Guard was essential. Imagine if those units had been overseas like so much of the Louisiana National Guard was at the time, stretched thin by another undeclared conflict.

In 2017, Georgia’s 165th Airlift Wing coordinated massive relief operations after hurricanes Irma and Maria. But at the same time, the wing was tasked with deploying to the Middle East. The result? Fewer aircraft, fewer personnel, and a reduced ability to respond when Americans needed help the most.

During one deployment to Kuwait, our airlift missions dwindled as the fight against ISIS cooled. But instead of returning home, we were ordered to keep flying—often empty planes—just to inflate performance metrics. It wasn’t about mission success. It was about optics.

This is what happens when Guard units are treated as an extension of the active-duty military, rather than the state-based force they were meant to be. And it’s why Defend the Guard matters.

I wish I could stand before the Georgia legislature and share these stories openly. I wish I could testify about the strain on families, the readiness gaps, and the wasted resources caused by federalizing the Guard without congressional oversight.

But I can’t. Because I’m an AGR. Because speaking out could cost me my career.

So I rely on you—citizens, veterans, and legislators—to speak for me and every other Guardsman who faces the same restrictions. If two-star generals can lobby in uniform for endless wars, the least we can do is ensure those wars are constitutionally declared.

Pass the Defend the Guard Act. Give the Guard back its rightful mission. And give a voice to those who have been silenced for far too long.