The Rebuild Georgia Initiative
Georgia has a $9 billion infrastructure backlog, with thousands of bridges, culverts, and rural roads that are "off the books" for private contractors because they aren't profitable enough. Meanwhile, our National Guard engineers are often training on simulated projects when our own communities are falling apart.
The Solution: I propose that we deploy the Georgia National Guard Engineer Battalions to clear our state’s backlog of "ignored" infrastructure.
Cost Savings: By using the military personnel we’ve already paid for, we can repair critical infrastructure at roughly 70% of the cost of traditional private contracts.
Real-World Training: Instead of digging holes in a training field, our Guard members will receive elite, real-world experience fixing the actual roads and bridges their neighbors drive on.
Prioritizing the Backlog: This initiative focuses only on refurbishment and repair projects that have sat idle for more than two years. We leave the high-profit new construction to the private sector and take the "low-value" backlog off their plates to get Georgia moving again.
Why I’m Fighting for This: I believe in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. We are already paying for the best engineers in the world. It is common sense to put those skills to work right here at home to right the ship and fix the foundation of our state.
Questions I asked myself:
"Is this taking jobs away from private construction companies?"
I asked myself this because I want Georgia businesses to thrive. However, the truth is that the projects I’m targeting, the small rural bridges and the over 35,000 "deferred maintenance" tasks, are projects that the private sector isn't undertaking because they aren't profitable enough. By clearing this backlog, we actually make the private sector's job easier by improving the supply chain they rely on.
"Is it legal to use the National Guard for civil projects?"
Yes. Under the federal Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the National Guard is explicitly authorized to perform civil engineering projects that provide an "incidental benefit" to the community while fulfilling its training requirements. This isn't a "new" power; it's a better use of an existing one.
"What happens if there is an emergency or a deployment?"
The National Guard’s primary focus is always on defense and emergency response. This initiative is designed for peacetime readiness. If a hurricane hits or the Guard is called up, they stop the road work and report for duty. But in the years between emergencies, they shouldn't be sitting behind a desk—they should be out there building a stronger Georgia.
"How do we pay for the materials?"
While the labor is already "paid for" through the military budget, the materials (concrete, steel, asphalt) would be funded using a small sliver of the $14.6 billion state surplus. Because we are saving 100% of the labor costs, every dollar of the surplus we spend goes twice as far as it would in a traditional contract.
