Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Defense Daily
September 20, 2007 By Ann Roosevelt
The Army National Guard faces equipment shortfalls at home, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau says.
"Here at home, on the average, I've got about half the equipment that I need," Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told the Defense Writers Group yesterday "And everybody doesn't have half. Nationally we have half. Nobody has more than about 65 or 70 percent and some have as little as 33 percent.
However, guard members deployed overseas have 100 percent of the personal and unit equipment needed, "make no mistake about that," he said.
To get the Army National Guard equipment to a level "where I think it would be an acceptable risk...that means 90 percent filled" would cost $13.1 billion over the fiscal year 2008-2013 period. The total bill for readiness shortfalls over that period is $24 billion.
The Air National Guard has fewer challenges because the Air Force made a business decision almost 30 years ago to adequately equip their reserve component, he said. Historically, the Army National Guard has been under resourced by the service.
Over FY '08-'13 the National Guard Bureau finds the an $8.8 billion equipment bill for the Air National Guard, mainly in modernization and recapitalization. The total bill is $13.8 billion.
"The challenge for me at home in having equipment to train with and to respond to the governors," he said. "Now the Army, honestly in my assessment, under [Lt.] Gen. Speakes [chief of Army programs] is working in sincere earnest to try to identify exactly what the requirements are and what the funding will be necessary to bring us up to an appropriate level of equipment that mitigates the risk back here in the homeland in our ability to respond."
It will likely take a couple of years to build up, he said. Every single day the situation improves, but "it's not getting better as fast as I'd like." There are those who would like it to take longer, but, "I don't think we can afford to take longer than that."
Key pieces of equipment tend to be helicopters, trucks, and medical units, which are very important to state governors, but it depends on the state and its needs.
Communications is a particular area with focused improvement. In the early hours of Hurricane Katrina, "we were deaf, dumb and blind," Blum said. From zero capability in September 2001, the guard now has 40 Joint Incident Site Communications Capability sets that will grow to 72 by the end of the year.
"We were not fully equipped before 9/11, we've been in a constant state of war since 9/11--that's six years--and we have cross-leveled that means borrowed equipment, robbed Peter to pay Paul," Blum said.
Equipping the force has now moved up the priority list for the Army, Air Force and Defense Department, he said.
At home, the National Guard must respond in minutes and hours to events, which means they have to have the equipment in hand to respond, he said. There is no time to borrow from neighboring states or draw from a consolidated equipment site as some suggest.
Hurricanes, for example, are easier to deal with because the guard knows its coming, so special equipment, bulldozers, generators, and the like can be moved closer to the affected area ahead of time.
"My problem is not with the predictable," Blum said. "My problem is how to get the guard ready for no notice events that will happen, like an earthquake, a tornado or a terrorist event or a combination of all three at the same time. That's where I think by having an under-equipped national guard we're assuming some significant risk in that area, more than I think is prudent."
Taking the broad view of the guard, Blum said, "Are you asking me if we're in our comfort zone? No we're not. Stretched? Absolutely. Are we broken? No. Will we break? No, I don't think so."
September 20, 2007 By Ann Roosevelt
The Army National Guard faces equipment shortfalls at home, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau says.
"Here at home, on the average, I've got about half the equipment that I need," Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told the Defense Writers Group yesterday "And everybody doesn't have half. Nationally we have half. Nobody has more than about 65 or 70 percent and some have as little as 33 percent.
However, guard members deployed overseas have 100 percent of the personal and unit equipment needed, "make no mistake about that," he said.
To get the Army National Guard equipment to a level "where I think it would be an acceptable risk...that means 90 percent filled" would cost $13.1 billion over the fiscal year 2008-2013 period. The total bill for readiness shortfalls over that period is $24 billion.
The Air National Guard has fewer challenges because the Air Force made a business decision almost 30 years ago to adequately equip their reserve component, he said. Historically, the Army National Guard has been under resourced by the service.
Over FY '08-'13 the National Guard Bureau finds the an $8.8 billion equipment bill for the Air National Guard, mainly in modernization and recapitalization. The total bill is $13.8 billion.
"The challenge for me at home in having equipment to train with and to respond to the governors," he said. "Now the Army, honestly in my assessment, under [Lt.] Gen. Speakes [chief of Army programs] is working in sincere earnest to try to identify exactly what the requirements are and what the funding will be necessary to bring us up to an appropriate level of equipment that mitigates the risk back here in the homeland in our ability to respond."
It will likely take a couple of years to build up, he said. Every single day the situation improves, but "it's not getting better as fast as I'd like." There are those who would like it to take longer, but, "I don't think we can afford to take longer than that."
Key pieces of equipment tend to be helicopters, trucks, and medical units, which are very important to state governors, but it depends on the state and its needs.
Communications is a particular area with focused improvement. In the early hours of Hurricane Katrina, "we were deaf, dumb and blind," Blum said. From zero capability in September 2001, the guard now has 40 Joint Incident Site Communications Capability sets that will grow to 72 by the end of the year.
"We were not fully equipped before 9/11, we've been in a constant state of war since 9/11--that's six years--and we have cross-leveled that means borrowed equipment, robbed Peter to pay Paul," Blum said.
Equipping the force has now moved up the priority list for the Army, Air Force and Defense Department, he said.
At home, the National Guard must respond in minutes and hours to events, which means they have to have the equipment in hand to respond, he said. There is no time to borrow from neighboring states or draw from a consolidated equipment site as some suggest.
Hurricanes, for example, are easier to deal with because the guard knows its coming, so special equipment, bulldozers, generators, and the like can be moved closer to the affected area ahead of time.
"My problem is not with the predictable," Blum said. "My problem is how to get the guard ready for no notice events that will happen, like an earthquake, a tornado or a terrorist event or a combination of all three at the same time. That's where I think by having an under-equipped national guard we're assuming some significant risk in that area, more than I think is prudent."
Taking the broad view of the guard, Blum said, "Are you asking me if we're in our comfort zone? No we're not. Stretched? Absolutely. Are we broken? No. Will we break? No, I don't think so."