An approximately $100 million Army budget shortfall has led to the cancellation of a monthly drill for more than 350,000 Army National Guard soldiers nationwide, including just under 3,100 in Hawaii, officials said.
The Hawaii drill, scheduled for Sept. 6-7, may be made up next year if the money is available. For now, in addition to a readiness impact, the cancellation will have a financial toll, with the citizen soldiers not pocketing pay which, in some cases, amounts to about $350 for a weekend’s work.
Lt. Col. Chuck Anthony, a Hawaii National Guard spokesman, said the state’s share of the shortfall is a little over $1 million.
"This was confirmation of what we had heard about probably for the last several weeks," Anthony said of the news that came Friday.
Drills for approximately 2,400 Hawaii Air National Guard members are not affected.
One factor in the budget shortfall is fewer than expected Army National Guard mobilizations for Afghanistan duty and exercises. Mobilizations, for example, are paid for out of the Army’s federal budget. Without a mobilization, drill weekends are still held, and National Guard costs are higher.
Higher than expected training attendance, and historically high pass rates at schools with fewer students washing out, are also factors that put more pressure on National Guard budgets, the Army said.
The Hawaii Army Guard may be able to hold 13 drill weekends next fiscal year instead of 12 to make up for the lost training, Anthony said.
The Hawaii Army Guard also is canceling most training travel for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.