Increasing Army National Guard Responsibility, Is the Nation at Risk

摘要

The world is in one of the fastest paced rates of change experienced since the end of World War II. The Warsaw Pact and communism as we understood them are undergoing fundamental changes and may even cease to exist. The American public and its representatives, the Congress have declared the end of the Cold War and are ready to dismantle the US Military and declare a 'peace dividend' to counter the staggering national budget deficit. Traditionally this has been the American reaction when a threat no longer existed. The Army National Guard today already represents almost one half of the Total Army combat units. Are these Guard units ready. If they are needed can they respond in a timely manner, trained and equipped. The answers to these questions are yes, if we have increased warning times, the Guard is filled with the equipment its units require, adequate Full Time Unit Support personnel are resourced, and more efficient use of training time is implemented; the Army National Guard can fill an increasing role of national defense without substantially increasing risk to national security.