The U.S. National Guard is set to receive its largest budget ever–$15.2
billion–in fiscal year 2001. This is significant, said officials,
since the Guard is to play a more active role in the national security
arena.
The Guard plans to focus its attention and dollars on modernizing
an aging helicopter fleet and providing better training to its members
should they be called upon in war-fighting or peacekeeping operations.
All of the U.S. military services are gearing up for the 2001 Quadrennial
Defense Review (QDR), where national security priorities will be
established for the next four years. National Guard leaders are
hoping that the QDR will take into account the growing participation
of Guard members in military conflicts.
"As we prepare ourselves for the Quadrennial Defense Review
2001, I want to make sure the Guard can continue to be there when
we are called," said Lt. Gen. Russell C. Davis, chief of the
National Guard Bureau, in a speech to the National Guard Association
of the United States at its annual convention, in Atlantic City,
N.J.
"I mean to insure that we are given relevant and meaningful
missions, both federal and state. I want the resources to do those
missions–modern tools to do our job, that are interoperable
with our active component partners," said Davis. "And
I want the Guard to have a role in the decision-making process as
a full partner. If we can do that, then we will insure our future."
President Clinton, in late October, signed the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001, which allocates $309.9 billion
to the Pentagon. This includes a 3.7 percent military pay raise,
which goes into effect January 1, 2001. That means a pay hike for
the more than 350,000 men and women in the Army National Guard and
the 108,000-plus Air National Guard members.
The $15.2 billion National Guard budget is $1.5 billion higher
than Clinton’s original request and 11 percent more than the
Guard’s current budget. The Army Guard’s portion will
be $8.8 billion, and the Air Guard’s share will be $6.1 billion.
Procurement and modernization are major drivers for the increase.
The Army Guard is expecting a 28 percent increase in procurement,
while the Air Guard plans a 145 percent increase.
The authorization provides $206 million for 18 Blackhawk helicopters–16
basic models and two air ambulances–to be purchased by the
Army National Guard. The UH-60 Blackhawk, manufactured by United
Technologies Sikorsky Aircraft, is a staple in the Army National
Guard’s fleet. In addition to acquiring newer Blackhawk models,
the Guard is hell-bent on modernizing its current fleet.
Sikorsky currently is refurbishing the Guard’s UH-60A Blackhawk
models, so that they meet 1989 production standards. The Guard has
been plagued by having to train with older equipment, officials
complained. But Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki’s plans
to "cascade" newer helicopters to the Guard, he said,
are welcome by guardsmen.
Shinseki told the convention of his plan to align eight Guard combat
units with Army active-duty forces (National Defense, November 2000,
p.98). This is important, some officials said, because the Army
is behind the other services in staffing all its units.
"[The Army], in comparison to the other services, [is] way
behind on full-time manning," said Gen. John W. Hendrix, commanding
general of the U.S. Army Forces Command. "Essentially, the
Air Force and the Navy are 100 percent manned, almost virtually
100 percent manned on their full-time support requirements. And
... we in the Army are way, way behind. We simply have to get it
right. ... We need more people."
The Guard recently participated in peacekeeping, disaster-relief
and counterdrug programs. Earlier this year, Guard units were dispatched
to help fight the outbreak of wildfires that erupted in the West.
This realignment, however, will give Guard combat units a higher
profile, officials said.
Davis had positive words regarding Shinseki’s realignment:
"It is so important to apply this tremendous resource that
these soldiers represent in a way that is relevant for our nation,"
he said. "I am talking about missioning our National Guard
divisions. There is no question in my mind that if we can focus
our divisions and enhanced brigades to a mission, it can only improve
our readiness and our training. We will provide an expanded capability
to the Army that will far exceed its modest cost. Missioning the
Guard will remove one of the few remaining barriers to full integration
on the Army team."
With the realignment comes the need for more up-to-date systems
that support the service’s "train like we fight"
mantra. The National Guard has been training with older systems
such as UH-1 Huey helicopters, officials said.
Shinseki pledged that the Guard will be equipped with 122 UH-60
Blackhawk helicopters and 68 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters by
2002.
The Air National Guard is experiencing similar problems with aging
aircraft. Charles T. Robinson, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Transportation
Command, told the convention that the Air Mobility Command is operating
with five of the six oldest aircraft in the inventory–KC-135,
C-5, C-141,C-130, C-5A. The Air Mobility Command, he said, relies
heavily on the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. In fact,
80 percent of the C-130 Hercules fleet is in the Guard and Reserve,
said Robinson.
Robinson said the Air Mobility Command must standardize its KC-135
tanker fleet and estimated that the cost to convert 100 KC-135E
models would be $2 billion.
Despite its need for modernized systems, the Guard has not been
deterred from carrying out many of its primary functions, officials
said, particularly in the counterdrug arena.
Davis had strong words for those critics of the Guard who do not
think it plays a significant role. "Is the Guard sitting on
its hands? Our counterdrug program folks don’t think so,"
he said. "Every day, over 3,000 soldiers and airmen are on
duty to support drug law enforcement agencies and community-based
organizations. In the last decade, they have seized over $2.2 billion
in currency, 830 tons of cocaine and 4,365 tons of processed marijuana,
resulting in over 671,000 arrests.
"As the world’s remaining superpower, we are resented
by many and face the growing prospect of asymmetric threats to our
homeland. We have experienced bombings in Oklahoma and attacks at
the World Trade Center. We are anticipating more threats to our
security and planning ways to deal with it. This year, the National
Guard will sustain the training for the original 10 Weapons of Mass
Destruction (WMD) Civil Support Trams, complete with fielding of
17 additional teams initiated in fiscal year 2000, and begin the
process to stand up five additional teams in fiscal year 2001. These
highly trained soldiers and airmen are the tip of our spear in responding
to weapons of mass destruction."
He added that the public and Congress recognize the growing need
to counter the WMD threat, but insisted that WMD is just one of
the Guard’s many missions.
"Our first priority must be to remain as the primary first-line-ready-reserve
force for defending America," said Davis. "We have and
we must maintain a combat capability. We must remain a full-spectrum
force. We must be, and we are a full partner on the defense team."
Some officials believe an increasing budget reflects that notion.
Other Army National Guard budget highlights include: