Army to Commit $7 Billion for Guard Gear
9
2,005
Reported by Sandra I. Erwin
The Army National Guard’s equipment wish list, also known
as “unfunded requirements,” has grown over the years
to nearly $14 billion. But help may be on the way. A considerable
commitment of forces to the Iraq war—with eight brigades now
deployed—is likely to earn the Guard a substantial payback
in the form of new hardware. The Army is expected to fund at least
$7 billion of the Guard’s wish list during the next six years,
said Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau.
“This is real commitment … not tokenism,” said
Blum. “We will have more money for equipment in the next two
to three years than I normally would have seen in 20 years.”