FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, January 27, 2006

Isakson Co-Sponsors Resolution Seeking Consultation on National Guard Changes

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) today announced that he is co-sponsoring a resolution requesting that the Department of Defense seek input from Congress and the nation’s governors when deciding future changes to the National Guard personnel.

The resolution, introduced by Senators Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), also praises the National Guard for its service and calls on the Pentagon to resolve equipment shortages.

“Since the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, our nation has depended on our National Guard like never before in waging the war on terror,” said Isakson, who served in the Georgia Air National Guard. “We must work to ensure these brave individuals have the resources they need to accomplish their missions.”

National Guard members have a unique dual mission with responsibility to both the nation and to their home states. The Department of Defense is proposing cuts in personnel levels for the Guard, and the Guard is hindered by significant shortages on critical equipment, including humvees, rough terrain trucks, over-the-road tractors, wreckers, semi-trailers, communication equipment and weapon mounts for trucks.

The Senate resolution calls for the Department of Defense to:

• Fully fund the equipment needs of the National Guard;
• Consult with Congress and governors as soon as possible on any proposed changes to the National Guard force structure;
• Consider the National Guard’s role in homeland defense when considering the National Guard’s force structure;
• Create budget projections that detail cost savings from any National Guard force structure changes, as well as projected costs in the event large personnel increases are necessary to respond to a homeland defense emergency; and
• Ensure Congress and our nation’s governors that potential personnel cuts will not impact the safety and security of the American people.

The future of the National Guard is currently being debated as part of the Quadrennial Defense Review, a document prepared by the Pentagon that outlines future threats to the U.S. and the force structures and weapons systems needed to combat those threats.

The resolution is supported by the National Guard Association of the United States.

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