[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 138 (Thursday, September 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1733-E1734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                GUARDCARE: A TRAINING PROGRAM ON TARGET

                                 ______


                        HON. PATRICIA SCHROEDER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 7, 1995
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, one of the smartest uses of Federal 
resources is the Colorado National Guard's free clinic for Denver's 
medically underserved. The clinic, a National Guard GuardCare program, 
was set up in the baseball stadium and served 640 people in the first 4 
days.
  GuardCare is a civil-military program designed to provide military 
training while benefiting the local community. In Denver, 1,633 people 
who otherwise would not have access to medical treatment benefited. 
Across the State it will serve 5,000 people in need of care. The 
program involved the whole community. With the help of U.S. West, it 
incorporated high tech telemedicine techniques that 

[[Page E 1734]]
enabled the National Guard field hospital to talk to Denver General 
Hospital via television monitor. Denver General provided needed medical 
information.
  The National Guard provided the personnel, the tents, and the medical 
equipment. For the National Guard it was an ideal training opportunity 
in field medicine that allowed them to treat the needy in their own 
community rather than the needy in a foreign country. It is a win-win 
situation for all.
  Unfortunately, this will be the last year for the National Guard's 
clinic in downtown Denver, and in cities in the other 15 States that 
have implemented GuardCare programs. Because the National Security 
Committee, in their zeal to fund unneeded weapons systems, zeroed out 
the budget for these useful and economically efficient National Guard 
training opportunities in the authorization bill. The goal of GuardCare 
was to accomplish mission-essential readiness while rebuilding America. 
Which part of this goal does the committee find so unworthy of funding? 
I'll bet it is not the readiness part.


                          ____________________