tells us in a general framework how we should operate during
an emergency response,” he says. “Then we will have a state
resiliency companion plan that will tell us how to recover. I
think Governor Justice’s vision is that the guard is going to be
a major player not just in the emergency response piece but in
moving forward long term.”
This idea is not outside of the guard’s purview. All across
the country, National Guard members in each state adapt to
that state’s needs to take care of the citizens. In order to be
successful, Hoyer is hopeful changes to purchasing during
emergency efforts can be addressed during this year’s legisla-
tive session. He believes emergency response on a state level
needs to move faster. He doesn’t want to change the checks
Major General Hoyer speaks to
media personnel during a RISE
West Virginia press conference.
Photo by Steven Wayne Rotsch.
and balances of government, but he wants to make it easier to
get relief during a disaster like the 2016 flood.
“It is a lot more work and a lot more time for me,” he says.
“But I was born and raised here. I am here because I want to
be here. I tell people my job is to have us exceptional at our
military mission and exceptional at our emergency response
and to help make West Virginia the center of the universe. We
will do what tasks are thrust upon us.”
Hoyer might be the new face of RISE West Virginia, but
he credits the countless volunteers, nonprofits, construction
companies and other contributors who are working to get
families back in their homes.
“We’ve got to pay attention to the fact that there are a lot of
good people out there on the ground every day making stuff
happen, and now we are pushing this thing,” he says.
Hoyer believes the guard has found yet one more way to
fulfill its mission of protecting and serving the people of the
Mountain State through RISE West Virginia and the emergency
response improvements that will result from it. It’s well past
time for the West Virginians who were left homeless by the
2016 flood to be able to go home again, and Hoyer is deter-
mined to make this a reality as soon as possible.
He also hopes those on the federal level can recognize the
work this administration is doing to streamline the current
process while simultaneously building a long-term emergency
response plan. He believes the guard’s track record of deploying
aid and relief will make it a leader on the national stage, and
when disaster strikes in other parts of the country, he hopes
West Virginia is called upon for help.
WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM
WINTER 2019
91