As Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen fights a Pentagon proposal that would reduce the Tennessee National Guard by 10% and cut as many as 1,000 Tennessee guard slots, Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. introduced legislation that calls on the Department of Defense to consult the nation's Governors and Congress before making any changes to the Guard."The men and women of the National Guard, who are serving with quiet determination, deserve more than a pink slip when they return from Iraq and Afghanistan," Ford said. "The Pentagon's proposal to cut the National Guard ignores the fact that more than 40% of the forces mobilized in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom are members of the National Guard. At the same time, we rely on the National Guard to respond to catastrophic events at home. This is not the time to cut this vital force."
Ford's resolution, which is sponsored by Senators Lindsey Graham and Ben Nelson in the U.S. Senate follows:
H. Res.
Honoring the service of the National Guard and requesting consultation by the Department of Defense with Congress and the chief executive officers of the States prior to offering proposals to change the National Guard force structure.
RESOLUTION
Honoring the service of the National Guard and requesting consultation by the Department of Defense with Congress and the chief executive officers of the States prior to offering proposals to change the National Guard force structure.
Whereas the Army National Guard and Air National Guard of the United States, representing all 50 States, Guam, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia, have played an indispensable role in the defense of our country;
Whereas during one phase of the Global War on Terrorism, Army National Guard soldiers comprised nearly half of the United States combat forces in Iraq;
Whereas National Guard personnel are currently deployed in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, and more than 40 other countries around the world;
Whereas 90 percent of the troops on the ground in Louisiana and Mississippi responding to Hurricane Katrina were members of the National Guard;
Whereas while performing these critical missions, the National Guard continues to experience significant equipment shortages, especially vehicle and radio shortages;
Whereas members of the National Guard are not `weekend warriors', but citizen-soldiers and airmen who serve full-time when their country needs them to do so;
Whereas the National Guard is a resource shared by the chief executive officers of the States and the President;
Whereas the National Guard is America's militia;
Whereas deployment to fight terrorism on two fronts overseas, while protecting our homeland, has stretched the National Guard thin;
Whereas the future of the National Guard could be determined by the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) currently underway;
Whereas the Army and Air Force could recommend changes in the force structure of the National Guard;
Whereas reductions in force structure could impact numerous Army National Guard armories and Air National Guard wings;
Whereas reductions in force structure combined with the lack of adequate equipment for the National Guard threaten its capacity to discharge its missions and its ability to respond in emergencies;
Whereas homeland defense is the most important mission of the Department of Defense; and
Whereas the National Guard is the force best suited to defend the homeland and therefore the element from which resources should not be cut: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the vital Federal and State missions of the Army National Guard of the United States and the Air National Guard of the United States, including support of ongoing missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and homeland defense and disaster assistance and relief efforts;
(2) recommends that the Department of Defense propose fully funding the equipment needs of the National Guard;
(3) believes that the Department of Defense should, as soon as possible, consult with the chief executive officers of the States, as well as Congress, on any proposed changes to the National Guard force structure;
(4) requests that any plan of the Department of Defense regarding the National Guard force structure take into account the role of the National Guard role in homeland defense and other State missions as defined by the chief executive officers of the States;
(5) requests that the Department of Defense prepare budget projections that detail cost savings from any changes in National Guard force structure, as well as projected costs in the event large personnel increases are necessary to respond to a national emergency; and
(6) requests that the Department of Defense assure Congress and the chief executive officers of the States that potential changes in the National Guard force structure will not impact the safety and security of the United States people.
Read Congressman Ford's challenge to his Republican opponents to help him protect the Tennessee National Guard here!
