[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 170 (Friday, November 21, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15476-S15477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 84--RECOGNIZING THE SACRIFICES MADE BY 
  MEMBERS OF THE REGULAR AND RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES, 
  EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND URGING THE 
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT THE RESERVE 
 COMPONENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH THE SAME EQUIPMENT AS REGULAR COMPONENTS

  Mr. DASCHLE (for Mr. Kerry) submitted the following concurrent 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services:

                            S. Con. Res. 84

       Whereas, on September 11, 2001, the National Guard and 
     Reserve responded to the horrific terrorist attacks on the 
     United States with professionalism and courage, rescued the 
     injured, saved lives in New York City, provided protection to 
     the Pentagon, and flew combat air patrols over Washington, 
     D.C., and other major cities;
       Whereas, on September 14, 2001, in Executive Order 13223, 
     President Bush proclaimed a national emergency, and exercised 
     his authority under section 12302 of title 10, United States 
     Code, to allow him to call up as many as 1,000,000 National 
     Guard and Reserve members to active duty for up to two years;
       Whereas more than 300,000 National Guard and Reserve 
     members have been called to active duty under this Executive 
     Order, serving on the front lines by fighting terrorists in 
     Africa and Asia and keeping the peace in Afghanistan, the 
     Balkans, and Iraq;
       Whereas the National Guard and Reserve are taking on 
     unprecedented challenges;
       Whereas 64 percent of National Guard and Reserve members 
     have been called up for active duty during at least one of 
     the seven major mobilizations since 1990;
       Whereas 7,800 National Guard and Reserve members have been 
     mobilized more than once to serve in the Global War on 
     Terrorism, and members serve between 60 and 120 days per 
     year;
       Whereas 42,000 of the approximately 160,000 United States 
     troops currently in Iraq are members of the National Guard 
     and Reserve;
       Whereas the National Guard and Reserve are being deployed 
     to Iraq without critical protective equipment, such as body 
     armor,

[[Page S15477]]

     carbines, laser sights, night vision goggles, desert boots, 
     Camel Back water carriers, aviation holsters, aviation 
     protective masks, radios, and desert camouflage uniforms;
       Whereas many National Guard and Reserve units are using 
     older and outdated equipment;
       Whereas, due to equipment shortages throughout the National 
     Guard and Reserve, units are being stripped of equipment in 
     favor of units being deployed, leaving other units without 
     equipment with which to train;
       Whereas at least one National Guard and Reserve unit asked 
     hospitals in the United States to donate medical supplies to 
     cover its shortages; and
       Whereas a poll taken in Iraq by Stars & Stripes reveals 
     that 48 percent of National Guard and Reserve troops consider 
     their morale ``low'' or ``very low'', compared with only 15 
     percent reporting ``high'' or ``very high'' morale: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) recognizes the sacrifices made by the members in the 
     regular and reserve components of the Armed Forces;
       (2) expresses concern about their safety and security; and
       (3) urges the Secretary of Defense to take immediate steps 
     to ensure that the National Guard and Reserves are provided 
     with the same equipment as the regular components.

  (At the request of Mr. Daschle, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)
 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, the relationship between the active 
and reserve components in the United States military is known as the 
``total-force'' concept. Active duty units cannot fight wars without 
the support and participation of units from the National Guard and 
Reserve. It is this aspect of the all volunteer military that 
distinguishes the American armed forces from the praetorian armies of 
old and links the broader public, intimately, to the costs and 
sacrifices of war.
  The men and women of the American military continue to preform 
magnificently. They are executing difficult missions in distant lands 
around the globe. There are more than 130,000 troops in Iraq, 30,000 in 
Kuwait, 37,000 in Korea, and 10,000 in Afghanistan. At this moment, 
more than 164,000 national guardsmen and reservists are on active duty, 
and the Pentagon has recently announced two more rounds of activation, 
increasing that number by another 58,000 troops. With more than 60 
percent of the Army's active combat strength deployed or preparing to 
deploy, the men and women of the National Guard and Reserves are 
essential to our efforts in the war on terrorism and the stabilization 
of Iraq and Afghanistan.
  These deployed ``weekend warriors'' are much more than part-time 
soldiers; they are full-time war-fighters serving alongside active duty 
units, performing the same missions, facing the same dangers, paying 
the same bloody price.
  Despite this fact, the equipment of the National Guard and Reserves 
has been substandard when compared to the equipment available to 
members of the active units for far too long. This peace-time nuisance 
is a mortal danger in war. It is inexcusable that any U.S. units, 
whether active or reserve, would deploy to a combat zone without the 
latest equipment and technology.
  But we have heard concerns about National Guard and Reserve units 
lacking the latest gear or technology: helicopters lacking basic 
defense systems; Humvees without the additional armor needed to protect 
their occupants; and inadequate supplies of personal body armor. It is 
a dereliction of duty to send anyone into harm's way without basic 
protective gear.
  The Concurrent Resolution submit today, expresses our concern for the 
welfare and security of all the men and women of the United states 
military, whether they serve in the active duty military, the National 
Guard, or the reserves. If this is to truly be a ``total-force,'' then 
we must also commit ourselves to equipping it as such. The courageous, 
young men and women of our armed forces deserve no less.

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