Desantis Touts Florida State Guard's Growth, Discusses Eliminating Property Tax

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Bradford County with Florida State Guard Director Mark Thieme on Thursday morning.

The spoke from Camp Blanding Joint Operations Training Center in Starke.

DeSantis and Thieme highlighted the impact of the Florida State Guard, saying its efforts during a 60-day period and 10 activations amounted to 375 days of hurricane emergency response across 18 counties in 2024.

"If we weren't there, Floridians would've perished," said Thieme.

The FSG currently has 800 members, with another class set to graduate next week, according to Thieme.