Col. Dennis Butters, a spokesman for the Guard, likes to compare the organization to a large corporation.

According to an economic impact study commissioned by the Guard, state taxpayers spent an average of $5.5 million a year to support operations, while the federal government spent an average of $435.5 million. That's about $79 federal dollars for every state dollar.

The result, according to the study, is an estimate jolt of $931.4 million to the state's economy from 2005 to 20011.