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News From The
U.S. Senate National Guard Caucus
FOR RELEASE: June 25,
2009
CONTACT: David Carle
(w/Leahy), 202-224-3693
Shana Marchio (w/Bond), 202-224-0309
Leahy, Bond Reintroduce National
Guard Empowerment Effort
Bill
Would Sharpen Pentagon's Focus
On Helping The Guard Respond To
Domestic Emergencies
WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, June 25) Sen. Patrick Leahy
(D-Vt.) and Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) Thursday reintroduced legislation that would
obligate the Department of Defense to pay greater attention to the mission of
domestic operations in support of civilian authorities and to further empower
the National Guard in defense policymaking. Leahy and Bond are co-chairs of the
96-member Senate National Guard Caucus.
In addition to
serving as the primary reserve to the active military when assigned abroad, the
National Guard is the nation's first military responder for
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domestic
emergencies, such as natural disasters. No organization in the U.S.
defense structure has more experience, expertise, and capability than the Guard
does when it comes to domestic response and providing support to civilian
authorities. The Leahy-Bond bill - a follow-on to their successful earlier
Guard empowerment legislative efforts - would enhance the Guard's ability to
deal with these situations and ensure that states remain in control of the Guard
and other military forces that might be operating domestically during these
situations, and thereby improving the nation's domestic defense capabilities.
This bill would increase the
quality of advice at the highest levels on homeland defense matters by posting
the Chief of the National Guard -- now a four-star general officer position --
on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The legislation would also ensure that governors
maintain so-called tactical control over federal military forces during
emergencies, and it would give the National Guard Bureau budgetary authority to
develop and procure essential equipment for the Guard. The legislation also
would create the new position of Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau who
would serve as the principal deputy to the Bureau Chief.
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In his "Blueprint for
Change," the new Administration's national security blueprint, President Obama
endorsed the idea of making the Guard Bureau Chief a full member of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, a move that Vice President Biden also has endorsed. In
developing the legislation, Leahy and Bond consulted with The National Guard
Association of the United States, the Adjutants General Association of the
United States and the Enlisted National Guard Association of the United States -
organizations the Senators expect to endorse the bill after its introduction.
Leahy said, "The National
Guard continues to skillfully perform its domestic security roles, which
continue to grow in importance. Time and again the Guard has shown that it has
the know-how, the experience and the skills to perform missions at home and
abroad. Empowering the Guard will help mission performance and the entire
military's ability to support elected leaders and local officials during
emergencies."
"Our citizen-soldiers stand
ready to defend our nation, secure our homeland from natural disasters or
terrorist attacks, and are now fighting overseas in the war on terror," said
Bond. "We have a responsibility to give the Guard the equipment, resources, and
bureaucratic muscle they need to meet their critical dual mission."
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