Today, members of the National Guard Association of Connecticut stood before the legislature to talk about something that rarely makes headlines:
What it really costs to serve your neighbors during a crisis.
NGACT President Katie Zarzycka opened our testimony with a simple but powerful truth:
State Active Duty often comes without warning, without stability, and without the benefits that accompany federal service. Our Soldiers and Airmen are called to fill sandbags, shovel snow, conduct security operations, and respond to emergencies — sometimes for less than $80 a day — while leaving their families, jobs, and businesses behind.
That reality framed everything that followed.
Because this bill is not about politics.
It’s about people.
The Reality of State Active Duty
When Connecticut faces an emergency, you never hesitate.
You were there during the Waterbury water crisis, distributing critical supplies to families and hospitals.
You were there during COVID, running supply warehouses, moving PPE, and supporting overwhelmed healthcare systems.
You were there after Hurricane Isaias, helping communities recover when hundreds of thousands of residents lost power.
These are neighbors helping neighbors.
Often at personal cost.
Unlike federal service, State Active Duty does not come with the same protections. In many cases, Guard members earn less than minimum wage while serving.
And you do it anyway.
A Personal Perspective
In 2003, I was activated and deployed to Iraq as an E-4 in the Connecticut National Guard.
I had just graduated from UConn. I was building my own business as an independent financial advisor. I was finally gaining momentum.
And overnight, it stopped.
Even before that, after 9/11, my unit — the 248th Engineers — stood ready. We were never fully activated, but we lived in constant preparation.
You prepare your finances. You prepare your family. You prepare your business.
You live one phone call away from disruption.
Service doesn’t just pause your schedule.
It pauses your livelihood.
What We Hear at NGACT
If you’ve served, you’ve seen this.
Through NGACT, UConn’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, and Vets Rock, I’ve worked with dozens of Guard members and spouses trying to build stable civilian lives.
One young Guardsman I mentored had to shut down his small contracting business for three weeks during an emergency activation.
When he came back, two major clients had moved on.
He never recovered that income.
No headline covered that.
No ceremony recognized it.
But it happened.
And it happens more than we admit.
What H.B. 5296 Does — And Why It Matters
H.B. 5296 does not raise pay. It does not create special treatment. It does not change federal systems.
It provides a state income tax deduction for pay earned on State Active Duty.
That’s it.
The cost of this deduction is small.
The cost of losing trained, experienced Guard members is enormous.
This is about readiness. Retention. Respect.
If we want a strong force tomorrow, we have to support the people serving today.
Leadership Means Matching Gratitude With Policy
President Zarzycka reminded the committee that many of our youngest enlisted members — sometimes teenagers — perform critical emergency response work for pay that can be lower than minimum wage.
Many would do it without hesitation.
But gratitude without action is not leadership.
Good systems don’t rely on sacrifice alone.
They support the people who make them work.
The Bigger Picture
Legislation sends signals.
This one says:
We see you. We value you. We will act.
Our Guard members never hesitate when Connecticut needs them.
H.B. 5296 is how Connecticut shows up in return.
A Call to Action
To every NGACT member, veteran, employer, and supporter:
Your voice matters. Your story matters. Your engagement matters.
Share your experience. Call your legislators. Educate your workplace. Stay involved.
This is how we strengthen the force. This is how we protect families. This is how we lead.
When Connecticut calls, our Guard shows up.
Let’s make sure they know we will too.
For full hearing here is the link-https://www.youtube.com/live/haiF3x2gyxs?si=j5J7Hk1DdOwdIYoZ
Bill Palifka, Executive Director