Damien Maricich

The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) Annual Plan for FY2026 focuses on strengthening Montana's defense readiness, increasing resilience, and promoting engaged citizenship. Key objectives include empowering DMA professionals through clear communication and development opportunities, enhancing training and services for employees and stakeholders, aligning current missions with future opportunities, and improving recruitment and retention processes. The plan also emphasizes community engagement, effective marketing strategies, and infrastructure improvements to support the various divisions within DMA, such as the Montana Youth Challenge Academy, STARBASE, Disaster and Emergency Services, and the Montana National Guard.

The 2022 Strategic Plan for the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in Montana aims to strengthen the state through collective readiness, increased resilience, and engaged citizenship. Three key objectives are outlined: 1) developing an empowered workforce through transparent career management, training, competitive pay, and leadership empowerment; 2) enhancing service opportunities through teamwork, feedback systems, and fostering external relationships; and 3) optimizing resources to support programs enhancing resilience, readiness, and engaged citizenship by 2024. The overall vision is a "ready and resilient Montana."

The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) Annual Plan for FY2025 outlines the department's vision to be a ready and resilient Montana, achieved by strengthening the state's ability to defend against threats, increasing resilience, and promoting engaged citizenship. The plan focuses on empowering and developing DMA professionals through training and clear communication, enhancing training opportunities for employees and stakeholders, aligning current missions, proactively competing for future missions, and recruiting and retaining the best personnel.

The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) strategic plan, outlined in this Objectives, Goals, Strategies, and Measures (OGSM) document, centers around three key objectives: building an empowered and developed workforce, enhancing service to the next level, and establishing mission-focused clarity and purpose. The plan aims to strengthen Montana through readiness, resilience, and engaged citizenship. Specific goals include developing a trained and empowered workforce prepared for future challenges, improving service opportunities through teamwork, and optimizing resources to support programs enhancing resilience, readiness, and engaged citizenship by 2024. Strategies involve career management planning, training, competitive compensation, leadership development, team building, feedback systems, service opportunity promotion, and operational plan development. The document details various measures for each objective and goal across different DMA divisions, including workforce development, service expansion, and resource optimization.

The meeting covered key topics including the election of a new chairman and vice-chairman, updates on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), staffing changes within the agency, grievance status, and a legislative update. Discussion also included the 2021 biennial report, annual training plans, a budget overview, board member vacancies, and an update on the Southwest Montana Veterans Home. A review of the Patriotic License Plate and the possibility of exempting military retirement from state taxes were also discussed.