McHugh Testifies Before Commission on the National Guard and Reserve

McHUGH TESTIFIES BEFORE COMMISSION ON THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. John M. McHugh (R-NY) appeared today before the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, an independent Commission created by Congress assess the nation's Guard and Reserves and make recommendations for necessary changes in law and policy. The Congressman's testimony is part of two-day hearing on Capitol Hill. More information can be found on the Commission's Web site, http://www.cngr.gov/.

McHugh made the following statement to the Commission:

Chairman Punaro and distinguished members of the Commission, it is my pleasure to appear today to provide my views with regard to roles and missions of the National Guard and Reserves and to discuss the issues that I believe should be a priority for the Commission.

The scope of issues that Congress has charged you to examine is extremely ambitious. Moreover, Congress, in its usual fashion, has not given you much time - just a year - to accomplish all this.

As Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's (HASC) Military Personnel Subcommittee, I can assure you that we have been wrestling with many of these same issues. Frankly, for the last several years, we have been in a policy and statutory catch-up mode, trying to adjust Cold-War based statutes to better support the fundamentally transformed roll of the reserve components. By a rough count, Congress has adopted at least 25 major reforms of reserve component personnel policies, mobilization authorities, pay, bonuses, health care, and other benefits in the last four defense authorization acts.

From where I sit, there are many new Reserve Component policy and statutory recommendations or ideas that could be adopted. The challenge that I see is determining which ones should be adopted. Therefore, I believe the Commission can be extremely helpful in clarifying near-term legislative priorities for Congressional attention. Given your independence, the Commission is in a good position to advise us on mid-course corrections in policy and statute that should be undertaken.

Another area that I would command to your attention is the issue of reserve component peacetime performance of operational missions. Prior to September 11, 2001, reserve component personnel were providing peacetime operational support equivalent to 33,000 full-time active duty personnel. Since then, Congress has not only removed barriers to peacetime operational support, such as the 179-day rule, but also authorized DOD to have up to 31,500 reservists on active duty voluntarily for up to three years performing peacetime operational support. Furthermore, I understand that DOD may seek in the FY 2007 Defense Authorization to further expand the authorities for reserve component peacetime support. For example, the QDR recently recommended new authority be enacted to allow the mobilization of the federal reserves - Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve - in response to natural or manmade disasters. Previously such response was a National Guard area of responsibility. I also understand that authority may be sought to permit wider use of the full-time support force (AGRs and military technicians) to perform operational missions and functions assigned to their units. Current authority, in most cases, limits their peacetime roles to training and administration of the reserve components.

The Commission's perspectives on the peacetime operational support issues would be helpful to Congress. Is the trend of increased reliance headed in the right direction? To what extent does reliance on the Guard and reserve units and individuals to perform peacetime operational support missions conflict with the availability of Guard and reserve units to train for and to perform their wartime missions, or with the ability of the National Guard to support state missions? A related and extremely complex issue is the role of the National Guard in homeland defense activities.

A final issue I would ask that you consider is that of current mobilization authority. I believe that DOD has correctly interpreted current law by determining that a reservist can be involuntarily mobilized multiple times, but only for a cumulative total of two years. As the global war on terrorism continues, however, there are increasing numbers of reserve component personnel who have reached or will reach their two-year limit and are no longer eligible for involuntary mobilization. That will present significant policy and operational questions beginning this fiscal year and increasing in FY 2007. While volunteers may be able to meet some requirements, I am concerned that volunteers will not meet the full range of requirements. Therefore, I would strongly recommend that the Commission closely examine the 24-month mobilization limit, with the objective of recommending policy and or statutory options for DOD and the Congress to consider.

I appreciate the opportunity to share my views with you and look forward to your questions.

http://mchugh.house.gov/pr2006/030806_commissiontestimony.html