National Guard leaders oppose Bush takeover
U.S. state-level National Guard leaders will fight any effort to place their forces under direct presidential control.
The National Guard commanders are poised to carry out the Bush administration’s border-security plan to deploy thousands of troops to patrol the Mexican border, but they likely will fight any attempts to place the state-run units under the president’s control, CongressDaily reported Tuesday.
Maintaining state control over Guard units allows governors to manage the strain on the force and determine which troops and equipment to send — and for how long, Maj. Gen. Roger Lempke, president of the Adjutant Generals Association of the United States, told CongressDaily in comments published Tuesday.
“It gives us more flexibility in how we rotate them … the length of time, the training,” said Lempke, who also serves as Nebraska’s Guard chief. “We can tailor packages, if you will, to better meet the needs of the states where they’ll be…”
Historically, governors have maintained control of the National Guard during domestic deployments. Although there were indications the border security plan would not require the Guard to be brought under federal control, the administration tried — and failed — to federalize Guard units deployed to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina last year.
Moves to deploy the National Guard to the border “just underscores again how operational our Guard and reserves are,” said Arnold Punaro, chairman of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, which is studying the Guard’s future missions and requirements. Noting that these troops are no longer regarded merely as reinforcements, Punaro said, “They’re an operational force, not a strategic force.”
U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., who praised Bush’s plan to deploy Guard troops, said he would hold a committee hearing “at the earliest possible opportunity” to review details of the Bush proposal.
ATTENTION READERS
We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
