Begich: For Years, the State Failed to Empower the National Guard Bureau to Adequately Investigate Accusations

Press Release

U.S. Senator Mark Begich released a statement today in response to misleading comments from Governor Sean Parnell this week in which he refused to take responsibility for his own failure to empower the National Guard Bureau (NGB) to effectively investigate accusations of wrongdoing for years.

In a video posted on the State of Alaska website, Governor Parnell described the 2012 and 2013 investigations conducted at the request of members of the Alaska Congressional Delegation as "not finding any wrongdoing" and offered these results as an excuse for his inaction. However, the 2012 investigation requested by Sen. Begich and the 2013 investigation requested by Senator Lisa Murkowski were limited in their scope and effectiveness because only investigations conducted at the request of the State can compel members of the Guard to be interviewed--a key component of formal investigation that could have uncovered issues within the ranks of the Alaska National Guard. Governors are considered the commanders in chief of the National Guard in each state.

"Currently, the NGB is unable to conduct the sort of thorough investigation that occurred earlier this year without a request from the State. That's why I introduced National Guard Investigations Transparency and Improvement Act of 2014 in August," said Begich. "This legislation enables the NGB to initiate a thorough investigation without being forced to wait for a request from a governor. Unfortunately, Alaska is a text book example of why this law is necessary. I'm not the only one who believes governors shouldn't hold all the power to approve investigations. My bill has the support of the National Guard Association of the United States, which represents nearly 45,000 current and former Army and Air National Guard officers. NGAUS members understand that one person should not be able to stand in the way of justice."

Limited Power
The National Guard Bureau provides teams to investigate allegations of misconduct and other violations. These teams, when requested by a governor, can lead formal investigations and can require Guard members to participate in interviews. The first time Governor Parnell empowered such a team was earlier this year, after accusations had lingered for years. The NGB team sent in 2014 did so at the request of Parnell and thus was empowered to investigate. The result of the 2014 investigation includes reports of misconduct and abuse dating back to 2010--actions that could have been detected earlier had Governor Parnell asked the National Guard Bureau to investigate them earlier.

"The buck stops with the Governor when it comes to the Alaska National Guard, plain and simple. The reason accusations of wrongdoing were not effectively investigated until earlier this year is because the State failed to properly empower the National Guard Bureau," said Begich.

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