Joint Statement Of
Senate National Guard Caucus Co-Chairs
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) And Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.)
About The Decision To Deploy More Than 12,000 Guard Members To Iraq
April 9, 2007

WASHINGTON (Monday, April 9) – The co-chairs of the Senate National Guard Caucus Monday released a joint statement in response to the Army’s decision to alert more than 12,000 members of the Army National Guard that they would be deploying to Iraq, starting in December and continuing into next year.  Four National Guard Brigade Combat Teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Ohio and Indiana will make up the mobilization, which, under a new Army policy, will last no longer than a year.  Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.) – the co-chairs of the Senate’s Guard Caucus – issued the following statement:  

“This substantial deployment of members of the Army National Guard shows how indispensable the Guard is to our military strength.  Rarely a week goes by without fresh evidence of the Guard’s crucial role side by side with the Army or Air Force, either fighting abroad, or serving under the nation’s governors while providing security at home.  Since the country’s inception, the National Guard has answered the call to duty, and they have performed superbly, whether at home during situations like Hurricane Katrina or across the globe in Iraq and Afghanistan.   

“To ensure that this vital force remains strong, it is imperative that the National Guard have a stronger voice in key policy and debates.  The National Guard comprises a substantial portion of the nation’s military strength, but it lacks representation in the upper echelons at the Pentagon, where the decisions that affect the health and welfare of the 500,000 person force are made.  By now it also is clearly established that the National Guard simply does not have the equipment here at home to deal with such emergencies as natural disasters, and it is imperative that the Administration develop a real plan to address these troubling shortfalls. 

“Ultimately, Congress will have to become involved to appropriate additional funding for the Guard and to act on legislation that will ensure the National Guard remains flexible, capable and strong.  And the National Guard Caucus will continue to work to ensure that all members of the Guard, serving both at home and abroad, receive the equipment and support necessary to fulfill their vital missions.”

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