[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 108 (Thursday, August 1, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7880-S7881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NATIONAL GUARD COUNTER DRUG STATE PLANS PROGRAM

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to commend the 
National Guard and urge my colleagues to support the National Guard 
Counter Drug States Plan Program.
  The National Guard role is to provide counterdrug and drug demand 
reduction support as requested by local, State, and Federal law 
enforcement agencies and community-based organizations with a 
counterdrug nexus. The National Guard provides this support in 
consonance with the Office of National Drug Control Policy and 
Department of Defense guidance.
  The mission of the National Guard Counter Drug Program is to assist 
and strengthen law enforcement and community-based organizations in 
reducing the availability of, and demand for, illegal drugs within the 
State and Nation through professional military support. The principal 
elements of counter-drug military support include highly skilled 
personnel, specialized technology, facilities, and diverse types of 
military training and skills. Operationally, this translates into port 
security assistance, operating nonintrusive inspection devices, aerial 
and ground reconnaissance, technical support, general support, 
community antidrug coalition support, youth drug awareness programs, 
and use of training facilities.
  The National Guard offers numerous military-unique skills to the 
counterdrug mission. These include linguist and translator support, 
investigative case and analyst support, communications support, 
engineer support, diver support, marijuana eradication support, 
transportation support, maintenance and logistical support, cargo and 
mail inspection, training of law enforcement and military personnel, 
surface reconnaissance, and aerial reconnaissance. In addition, the 
National Guard provides command, control, communications, computers, 
and information, C4I, integration; logistics planning; tactical and 
strategic operational and intelligence planning; the ability to support 
around-the-clock operations; liaison skills with civilian authority and 
interagency cooperation; resource integration; force protection 
training; operational security enforcement; communications security 
enforcement; and risk management skills.
  We must fully fund the National Guard Counter Drug States Plans 
Program. The National Guard's success in interdicting drugs and other 
contraband contributes to the security of the Nation as a whole. Using 
my home State as an example, Florida has valid support requests from 
law enforcement and community-based organizations that would require 
approximately 250 personnel. Under the constraints of the estimated 
fiscal year 2003 budget, the National Guard was able to field 111 
personnel, resulting in unfunded requests for 139 personnel and an 
unfunded requirement of 99 personnel based on an optimal program size 
of 210 personnel. In fiscal year 2002, the State of Florida fielded 148 
personnel, and unfunded personnel requests totaled 102.
  I am also a great believer in a balanced counterdrug program, both 
interdiction and demand reduction. The National Guard does some of the 
finest demand reduction work in the country. Young people look up to 
these citizen-soldiers and listen to what they say.
  Counterdrug personnel assigned to perform drug demand reduction 
activities utilize numerous military skills including command, control 
and communication skills, tactical and strategic planning, liaison 
skills and training design and implementation skills. These assist 
communities with work plans, realistic time lines and assigned 
responsibilities. This support is essential for many community-based 
organizations in order to mobilize and sustain their efforts.
  Additionally, the military value system and discipline instilled in 
all counterdrug personnel creates a significant demand to serve as role 
models and mentors supporting a wide array of prevention activities. 
Community based prevention organizations rely on National Guard 
personnel to incorporate this unique military orientation into 
activities such as youth camps, ropes challenge courses, high adventure 
training, high school drug education, Drug Education for Youth, 
mentoring, and other prevention and skill training activities.
  The National Guard also provides unique facilities and equipment such 
as armories, training sites, obstacle courses, aircraft and wheeled 
vehicles in support of community prevention strategies. These 
facilities and equipment are often the only resources available to 
conduct youth camps, coalitions meetings or experiential learning 
initiatives. The leadership skills and military values embedded within 
our youth hopefully provide a morale foundation for future generations, 
as well as conveying to many thousands of youth the value of military 
service.

[[Page S7881]]

  The National Guard Counter Drug States Plan Program benefits not only 
the States, but also the Department of Defense. The primary benefit is 
increased combat readiness, as well as significant Guard experience in 
Military Operations Other than War, MOOTW, within the continental 
United States and abroad. Service in the counterdrug program also 
provides members with joint experience and inter-service cooperation 
skills for immediate response to national emergencies. The National 
Guard, in many communities, is the only real connection the public has 
to our armed services. The visibility of uniformed National Guardsmen 
provides a deterrence to the smuggling of drugs, arms, explosives, 
weapons, aliens, and other contraband, as well as direct support for 
interdiction operations.
  I can not say enough good things about what the National Guard does 
for the State of Florida and the Nation. I am grateful that it appears 
we have avoided personnel reductions for fiscal year 2003, which we 
struggled through in fiscal year 2002, but I am concerned that we may 
have a funding shortfall and personnel reductions in fiscal year 2004. 
I urge my colleagues to review the great merits of the National Guard 
Counter Drug State Plans Program, given the National Guard's integral 
role in both the National Drug Control Strategy and Homeland Defense 
Strategy. Please help us fully fund and deploy the National Guard for 
the protection of our United States.

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