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
That the Senate—
(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.