National Guard Joint Planners Course enhances state crisis response

The National Guard Joint Planners Course is a five-day training program designed to improve state-level crisis response through integrated planning. The course brings together Soldiers, Airmen, and interagency partners to build relationships and develop coordinated response plans between military and civilian organizations.

According to Lt. Col. Robert Geary, Homeland Defense Civil Support Plans Officer at the National Guard Bureau, the course addresses a specific training gap. While service members receive doctrinal planning experience during their careers, there is a distinct need for training focused on the art of integration and collaboration at the Joint Force Headquarters level.

Unlike tactical-level planning, which focuses on specific personnel and equipment, state-level planning requires understanding how emergency management, federal agencies, and private-sector organizations contribute to a state’s capabilities. The curriculum also emphasizes the importance of critical infrastructure, such as power, water, communications, and cyber systems, in supporting both emergency response and military force projection.