VDF launches G5/7 Strategic Plans, Policy and Training Directorate
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Defense Force kicked off 2026 with the creation of a new G5/7 Strategic Plans, Policy and Training Directorate to focus on long-range strategic planning, policy development and the organization’s overall training and professional development program. The G3 Operations Directorate will focus on current operations and emergency response support to the Virginia National Guard. The G5/7 will also have responsibility for the VDF’s recruiting and retention program.
“As the Virginia Defense Force continues to evolve and grow its mission set to maintain a strong alignment with the needs of the Virginia National Guard, it is absolutely critical we have the right staff organization to keep a strategic mindset towards future plans, develop policies that keep the VDF headed in the right direction and ensure our training programs meets the needs of all of our personnel,” said Brig. Gen. (Va) Rich Diddams, commander of the VDF. “Creating the G5/7 Strategic Plans, Policy and Training Directorate is an important step in securing the VDF’s future, and it is stated with strong leaders who have my utmost trust and respect. I look forward to working with them and the rest of the VDF’s command and staff team to continue to build on the momentum we have built over the last two years.”
The new organization streamlines operations and enhances how the all-volunteer reserve recruits, trains and retains personnel and supports the VDF’s primary mission of augmenting the Virginia National Guard during domestic response operations and maintaining a ready reserve trained in emergency operations.
“The VDF has responded to numerous real-world activations in recent years, from wildfires and hurricanes to winter storms and water crises,” said Maj. (Va.) Michael Perini, the former VDF G3 operations officer who now heads G5/7. He said the change will help the VDF to remain adaptable.
The VDF’s G3 has served historically as the hub for all operational coordination, and until this year its broad mandate encompassed everything from mission planning to personnel training. Perini said VDF leadership determined that the previous structure lacked “organizational depth” as staff and resources were allocated thinly across multiple competing priorities.
Perini described the new G5/7 as a hybrid organization, one which improves resource allocation and makes processes more systematic. “By separating training from day-to-day operations, we can dedicate resources to building a more resilient force, while the core G3 focuses on immediate mission demands,” Perini said.
Perini noted as the G5/7 matures it will help to integrate the VDF’s various training programs, enhance tracking of personnel’s qualification and professional-development pathways, and ensure that these remain aligned with the commonwealth’s priorities.
The core G3 will maintain focus on operational coordination, emergency management and organization for contingencies and major events. This includes maintaining the schedule of recurring high-level meetings representing the VDF at Joint Force Headquarters.
Perini said the G5/7 will focus on building robust training pipelines, standardizing curricula across the force, tracking progress in required education and certifications and integrating R&R efforts to sustain and grow force strength. The directorate will concentrate on skill development in critical areas including access control, traffic control, high-frequency radio communications, incident-management assistance as well as on foundational skills such as first aid and equipment maintenance.
“To ensure long-term effectiveness and adaptability, G5/7 will lead the development of clear, evidence-based policies and doctrinal guidance that align training, readiness and personnel management priorities,” Perini said. He indicated this includes periodic strategic planning cycles to assess emerging threats, evaluate program outcomes and update resource allocation accordingly.
Finally, Perini said the G5/7 will also foster proactive recruitment strategies and retention initiatives tailored to the unique challenges of a volunteer organization, including work-life balance, employer support and career-progression incentives.