[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 103 (Monday, July 23, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H4410-H4411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    STAND UP FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Otter). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of our 
National Guard. For 225 years our young men in the National Guard and 
our young women in the National Guard have stood in the gap when our 
Nation was called. From Concord to Kosovo, they have put their lives on 
hold, left their families, their jobs and responded to our Nation's 
needs. Today, they are continuing that great tradition.
  If it was the will of the President to send our young men and women 
into harm's way tonight, they would drop everything and they would go. 
As we speak, the 184th Bomber Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, an Air 
National Guard unit in Wichita, Kansas, is on call. If the assignment 
came to send our B-1 bombers to a foreign target, it would be the 
volunteers of the 184th Air National Guard Bomber Wing that would fuel 
the planes, load the bombs, fly the mission and, once again, stand in 
the gap for us and for our children.
  I tell my colleagues this with great pride because I know many of 
these young men and women in the 184th. Some of them grew up in 
Wichita, Kansas, the air capital of the world, home of Boeing, Beech, 
Cessna and Lear Jet. Some of them are second and third generation 
aircraft workers. It is almost genetic for them. It is a passion for 
them.
  That may explain why the 184th B-1 Wing has the highest mission-
capable rate of any of the B-1 bases, including the three active duty 
B-1 bases, the highest mission-capable rate. Of course, the average 
length of experience on the flight line at the McConnell Air Force Base 
for the Air Force workers is 15 years, 15 years of experience. However, 
at the active duty bases, it is only 3 years. On top of that, the cost 
per flight hour is lower at the Air National Guard unit at McConnell 
Air Force Base. It is a little over $6,000 per hour to fly the B-1, 
compared to over $10,000 per hour at the active duty base, considerably 
more. Lower cost, more experience, higher mission-capable rate: That is 
an attractive alternative to the active duty, and it tells us how 
important Air National Guard is to our Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, when we compare how the Air National Guard has handled 
their mission with the B-1 to the active duty, one would think there 
would be no question whether we should keep the B-1 mission in the 
National Guard. But, Mr. Speaker, the Guard is under attack. According 
to the Secretary of the Air Force and released program

[[Page H4411]]

budget directives, the Active Duty Air Force intends to pull the teeth 
of the Air National Guard by removing the B-1 mission from the Guard. 
Today it is the B-1 mission. What will it be tomorrow? No more F-15s in 
the Guard? No more F-16s? We do not know, but one thing is clear: The 
Active Duty intends to pull the teeth of the Air National Guard.
  Now, this is very upsetting to the young men and women of the Guard. 
Consider their success with the B-1 mission: lower cost, more 
experience, a higher mission-capable rate; and now consider the reward 
for being the top B-1 wing: loss of their mission. It does not make 
sense economically or logically. In a time of tight budgets when we 
have a shortage of 1,200 pilots, when retention of personnel is 
paramount, this is exactly the wrong message and exactly the wrong 
decision.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that each of my colleagues will consider this 
assault on our National Guard and oppose it. For 225 years, the Guard 
has stood in the gap for us. I hope we will choose to stand up for 
them.

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