The Adjutants General Association of the United States

As the President of the Adjutants General Association of the United States, representing a body comprised of the 54 Adjutants General from each state and territory, I am reaching out to you in an attempt to set the record straight on the development of the Army s proposed budget for the Army !ational Guard and some of the provisions no" before you# And at this moment, our nation is counting on all of us to $get it right # %e need an honest, unbiased bro&er# %e need an independent !ational 'ommission to revie" our Army and recommend the best structure for America s future security and Army force# (he first misconception is that the !ational Guard is un"illing to accept budget cuts# (his is simply not true# !o service or component "ants its budget reduced, but as the leaders of community)based forces, "e are acutely a"are of the threats posed by our nation s fiscal problems# *any of us have seen our state or territory budgets cut# All of us have Soldiers and Airmen "ho have been hurt by the sluggish economy and "ho "ill bear the future burden of our country s mounting debt# (he Guard must ma&e reductions# %e accept that# In fact, "e supported the plan the !ational Guard +ureau offered last summer to cover the Army !ational Guard s original ,-#. billion share of cuts re/uired by the +udget 'ontrol Act# (he plan minimi0ed personnel turbulence, "hich translates into reduced retraining costs and other ris&s to readiness# Unfortunately, this and all other input from the !ational Guard "as rejected by Army leadership in favor of the proposal no" before you that creates significant personnel turbulence ) re/uiring more than 55,111 soldiers having to be retrained for ne" careers, years of readiness problems, and includes more than ,- billion in non)programmed costs# Another fallacy is the implied savings from the Army s plan to transfer the entire Army !ational Guard A2)34 Apache fleet to the active component under the Aviation 4estructuring Initiative 5A4I6# Army !ational Guard attac&)helicopter battalions, on average, can be maintained for 47 percent of the cost of their active)component counterparts# 8ou simply do not save money shifting aircraft from the former to the latter# A4I also fails to include the significant retraining costs associated "ith such a transfer# 9ust as important, it s/uanders strategic depth and hundreds of the (otal Army s most e:perienced Apache pilots and maintainers, and it eliminates a readily available place to serve for Apache pilots and maintainers "ho leave the active component# ;/ually deceptive is the Army argument that the states and territories "ould be better off "ith U2)31 +lac& 2a"& helicopters than Apaches# Governors do not agree# (he reason for this is t"o)fold< -#6 (he !ational Guard does not have a /uantitative +lac& 2a"& shortage, and 7#6 (he implications of removing attac& aviation from the force structure# (hey fear, as do "e, that this is a first big step to ta&ing a"ay the Army !ational Guard s historic combat role, and it is the e:perience gained through the command and control of combat units that ma&es the Army !ational Guard so successful in large) scale domestic operations#
ADJUTANTS GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES
1 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Wash n!t"n, D.C. #$$$1

Army officials also are telling less than the "hole story on end)strength reductions# 'ongress authori0ed the active component to temporarily gro" to 5.1,111 during the "ars in Ira/ and Afghanistan# It "as already scheduled to return to about 4=1,111 personnel, yet officials often cite the higher figure to artificially inflate the si0e of their cuts relative to the reductions for the Army !ational Guard# (he Army !ational Guard end)strength has remained constant at appro:imately >51,111 since before =?--# Army statisticians also appear to be using end)strength cuts to mas& rather dramatic force structure changes that have been occurring over the last decade and a half# In 7111, the Army !ational Guard had 47 combat brigades, "hile >> such units resided in the active)component Army# @ver the last -4 years, the Army !ational Guard shrun& to 7A brigades and is scheduled to gro" even smaller# *ean"hile, the active component gre" to a high of 45 brigades and is no" do"n to >7# +ut this, too, is deceptive# Active)component brigades have gone from t"o to three maneuver battalionsB Army !ational Guard brigades "ere not authori0ed to increase in si0e# (his ma&es Army comments about the Army and Army !ational Guard not being CinterchangeableD a self)fulfilling prophecy# It also ma&es the Army !ational Guard role in combat, "hich helps connect America to the front lines of the "ar fight, increasingly smaller# %hat "e are "itnessing is rapid, revolutionary change in the (otal Army that "ill continue under the Army s ne" five)year budget plan# %hile it is true that Army !ational Guard leaders "ere involved in the process, "e have been told that our active component counterparts did not consider the ris& to our !ationEs security by presenting plans that drastically cut our !ational Guard to an ineffective force# (he Army is no" attempting to sell its plan on the 2ill "ith a communication campaign that uses blatant falsehoods to devalue the Army !ational Guard s ability to contribute to the Army of the future# %e hear that the Army !ational Guard is inaccessible, yet the force has never missed a call# %e hear that the Army !ational Guard ta&es too long to get to the fight, yet it is the active component that sets training standards and schedules# %e hear that the Army !ational Guard trains only >= days a year, yet most of our officers and non)commissioned officers are budgeted to spend =7#5 days a year in uniform# %e also hear that the Army trains >35 days a year, yet our Soldiers sit idly at mobili0ation stations on "ee&ends because their active)component trainers ta&e Saturdays and Sundays off# ;ven "orse, Pentagon officials have allo"ed all of this to happen and no" even seem to be silencing the 'hief of the !ational Guard +ureau to the point that he has difficulty fulfilling his statutory responsibility as a channel of communication from us to you in an open hearing# %e are not shoc&ed that any of this is happening# (his is history repeating itself# ;very time resources become constrained, Army officials target the Army !ational Guard# %e had hoped that -7 years of "arFfighting and "inning alongside our active)component brethrenF"ould ma&e this time different, but that has not happened# %hat is at sta&e is the ArmyFActive, Guard, and 4eserveFof 7171 and beyond# (he !ation is counting on all of us to get it right# %e have time for an independent revie" of ho" to best structure America s Army# %e need a !ational 'ommission on the Structure of the Army#

ADJUTANTS GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES

1 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Wash n!t"n, D.C. #$$$1