Future of State Defense Force Training: President Lt. Colonel Greene’s Roadmap

In Part 3 of our Commanders Briefing podcast with Lt. Colonel (MD) Barry Greene, President of The State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS), we explore both his short- and long-term goals for the organization, with a strong focus on making the upcoming 2025 SGAUS Convention a major success. The President details how every newly announced course—ranging from Drone Operations to HazMat—will be actively showcased through hands-on exercises at the event, giving attendees the chance to experience the training firsthand. He also shares exciting details of a special ceremony to be held aboard a World War II vessel, beneath the very anti-aircraft guns that helped defend America in battle. Throughout the clip, Lt. Colonel Greene emphasizes the immense value of this gathering—not just for attending panels and training events, but for fostering cross-state collaboration among commanders and soldiers. He outlines his priority of launching these newly announced programs such as the SGAUS Cyber Academy, Cyber Medical Academy, New Search & Rescue and Communications Course, Public Affairs and Recruiter Courses, etc. ensuring each includes exercises and certification opportunities to empower soldiers to bring that knowledge back to their home units. Looking to the future, he expresses hope that even if only half of the new initiatives succeed, he’ll consider it a meaningful achievement, and he names his intended successor to continue the momentum.