Press Release - Sarbanes Honors Men and Women Serving America's National Guard

Sarbanes Honors Men and Women Serving America's National Guard

Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, our National Guard has found itself stretched dangerously thin, battling threats at home and overseas. Today, Memorial Day 2006, John Sarbanes, Democratic Candidate for Maryland's 3rd Congressional District, called upon Congress "to honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the United States National Guard by providing them with the resources they deserve." Sarbanes added, "The purpose of the National Guard has transformed under this Administration - so should its organization, supply, and support. An emphasis on a home-front strategy is perhaps the most important aspect in a layered homeland defense. Democrats took the lead in focusing our nation on homeland security and we must continue to fight to ensure that our ports, nuclear and chemical plants, and other sensitive facilities are secured against attack. This cannot be accomplished if President Bush and the Republican-led Congress continue to fund our National Guard at embarrassingly low levels."

Nearly one-third of the American ground forces in Iraq are members of the Army National Guard, more than 40,000 Guard members rescued and rebuilt New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and on September 11th the Air Guard was the Nation's first airborne responder to the al-Qaeda attacks when it launched two F-15 fighter aircraft just six minutes after being informed of the terrorist hijackings. Sarbanes stated, "Their answer to our call has been, by every measure, exceptional. Our National Guard deserves not just accolades, but action: action for better pay, action for better resources, and action for better benefits."

Sadly, over the past five years, the President repeatedly ignored requests from the Guard for more resources. In his recent address to the Nation, President Bush asserted: "It is important for Americans to know that we have enough Guard forces to win the war on terror, respond to natural disasters, and help secure our border." Sarbanes countered, "The truth of the matter is that in each year since 9/11, the President has provided fewer and fewer resources than the Guard knew we needed. Adding insult to injury, President Bush has now asked Congress to deploy an additional 6,000 National Guard troops to police our borders. In the next two years, over 150,000 troops will be rotated into duties at the borders. As America moves into the tumultuous hurricane and wild-fire season, the President and Congress must make a commitment to provide the National Guard with the essential resources they need to protect their local communities."

Today, Sarbanes called upon Congress to honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the United States National Guard by efficiently concentrating action in the following four areas:

* Extend the Selected Reserve Incentive Program set to expire May 31, 2006.
* Guarantee that when Guard members return from foreign theaters that their equipment does not remain behind.
* Elevate the head of the National Guard to a four-star general and make him a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
* Launch a Congressional investigation into the declining preparedness of non-deployed units for future missions and the DOD's strategy of transferring large numbers of equipment and personnel among units.

1) Do right by our servicemen and women by extending the Selected Reserve Incentive Program set to expire May 31, 2006.

The Selected Reserve Incentive Program, which ensures adequate resources and protection for our National Guard, is set to expire at the end of May. Sarbanes said, "In order to do right by our servicemen and women, we need to extend the Program past the current May 31, 2006 expiration date." The Selected Reserve Incentive Program currently offers many enlistment bonuses and heightened salaries, providing financial incentive to attract and retain quality soldiers who either possess a critical skill or qualify for training in a critical skill needed in wartime. In addition to an Enlisted Affiliation Bonus of $20,000 for 6-years and $10,000 for 3-years, the program offers $20,000 to non-prior service members who enlist in one of the ARNG's "Top 10" critical posts, specifically health care experts and food service specialists used in disaster relief. Further extending the Selective Reserve Incentive Program is a necessity for ensuring the protection and support of our troops. This will also assist the ARNG Recruiting and Retention Force.

2) Make certain that when Guard members return from foreign theaters that their equipment does not remain behind.

There is a bipartisan consensus that the Bush administration policies have neglected the National Guard's equipment and personnel needs. All 50 governors have signed a letter to the President opposing any cuts in the size of the National Guard. "Unfortunately," the letter said, "when our National Guard men and women return from being deployed in foreign theaters, much of their equipment remains behind." The governors said the White House must immediately re-equip Guard units "to carry out their homeland security and domestic disaster duties." Sarbanes added, "the National Guard plays an invaluable role in the states. If our troops are deployed and their equipment goes with them without coming back, then America no longer has the means we need to protect our homeland."

A recent report by the Government Accountability Office, an investigative arm of Congress, reported that "extensive use of the Guard's equipment overseas has significantly reduced the amount of equipment available to governors for domestic needs." Since 2003, the report said the Army National Guard has left more than 64,000 pieces of equipment, valued at more that $1.2 billion, in Iraq alone. Sarbanes said, "the personnel will be stretched even thinner with the recent decision, which President Bush announced on May 15th, to station National Guard troops on the Mexican border. We need to make sure that the Guard is provided with adequate personnel and equipment when responding to natural disasters or terrorist attacks at home - in the ‘domestic theatre' for which the Guard has primary responsibility."

3) Support the bipartisan proposal now pending in Congress to elevate the head of the National Guard to a four-star general and make him a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The National Guard, which provides almost one-third of the troops deployed to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq and which has suffered about 20% of all US military deaths in Iraq, should have a greater say in Pentagon war councils. To ensure they are no longer sitting in the back seat of decision making, we need to support the bipartisan proposal now pending in Congress to elevate the head of the National Guard to a four-star general and make him a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This will guarantee that the National Guard is properly represented when the President drafts personnel budgets, resource allocation, and military operations.

4) Launch a Congressional investigation into the declining preparedness of non-deployed units for future missions and the DOD's strategy of transferring large numbers of equipment and personnel among units.

The fourth requirement for ensuring the safety and preparedness of America is to launch a Congressional investigation into the declining preparedness of non-deployed units. With a lack of personnel and equipment, the National Guard is not getting adequate support from the government. Testimony before the Committee on Government Reform in the House of Representatives has revealed the necessity of a reevaluation of the National Guard's role, organization, and equipment. These elements need to be discussed and reexamined in a Congressional investigation.

Congress has been caught by surprise by all too many of President Bush's fumbles, including the existence of secret U.S. prisons abroad, the CIA's detention overseas of innocent foreign nationals, and the discovery that the NSA is engaged in domestic spying. After six years of a GOP-controlled Congress, it is high time we investigate this Administration's irresponsible activities.

The four initiatives outlined above will be key steps towards ensuring that America is prepared for domestic and international disasters. Without well-equipped National Guards, the risk of casualties from battle or from natural disasters rises dramatically. We must bring real change to Washington to make sure that America is ready to respond to future Hurricanes and to protect the troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.sarbanesforcongress.com/ht/d/sp/i/811849/pid/811849