Department of Military Affairs

The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) provides essential, effective, and responsive military and emergency management capability for the citizens of our state and nation. DMA includes Joint Force Headquarters-Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard, and the Wisconsin Division of Emergency Management.

Leadership

The Wisconsin Constitution designates the governor as the commander-in-chief of the Wisconsin National Guard. The department is directed by the adjutant general, who is appointed by the governor for a -year term and may serve successive terms. The adjutant general must be an officer actively serving in the Army or Air National Guard of Wisconsin who has attained at least the rank of colonel and is fully qualified to hold the rank of major general in either the Army or Air National Guard. The governor also appoints the administrator of Wisconsin Emergency Management.

Division of Emergency Management

Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) coordinates with local, tribal, state and federal agencies, as well as the volunteer and private sectors, to plan for, prepare for, and respond to natural disasters or man-made emergencies. Some of WEM's programs are disaster planning and response, training and exercising, radiological emergency preparedness, hazard mitigation, emergency fire and police services, the State Disaster Fund, and the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. WEM's central office and the state Emergency Operations Center are located in Madison. WEM also has six regional offices to provide local support.

The Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard

The mission of the Wisconsin National Guard is to provide fully capable citizen-Soldiers and citizen-Airmen prepared to deploy anywhere, at any time, to support community, state and federal missions. The federal mission is to provide trained units, Soldiers and Airmen in time of war or national emergency, as directed by the President of the United States of America. The state mission is to assist civil authorities in protecting life and property, and preserving peace, order and public safety during emergencies, as directed by the governor of the State of Wisconsin.

The composition of Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard units is authorized by the U.S. Secretary of Defense, through the National Guard Bureau. The federal government provides arms and ammunition, equipment and uniforms, major training facilities, pay for military and support personnel, and training and supervision. The state provides support personnel, conducts training and shares the cost of constructing, maintaining and operating armories and other state military facilities.

The Wisconsin National Guard operates on an annual budget of about $82 million -- with $22 million coming from the state of Wisconsin and $60 million from federal or other sources -- plus nearly $260 million in federal funding primarily used for pay, training and benefits for the Guard's citizen-soldiers and airmen.

Joint Force Headquarters-Wisconsin

Joint Force Headquarters-Wisconsin, located in Madison, is made up of a staff of both Army and Air Guard members, who provide comprehensive command-and-control and response for domestic emergencies, to include staffing a 24-hour Joint Operations Center and managing military resources for immediate initial response as well as long-term recovery.

Organization Chart

Organization Chart (pdf)