A study by an influential Washington, D.C.-based think tank has called on the Defense Department to appoint a National Guard officer as the deputy commander of the U.S. Northern Command (Northcom).
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) made the recommendation July 12 in a report summarizing findings of its 18-month look at the Guard and Reserves.
The Future of the National Guard and Reserves said such an appointed is needed "in light of Guard's role in homeland defense to ensure that partnerships between Northcom, the states and territories, and the National Guard Bureau are strong."
Appointing a Guard officer as Northcom deputy command is one of the major provisions of the National Guard Empowerment Act now before Congress.
The CSlS study looked a wide range issues in an attempt to provide "practical, actionable recommendations to DoD to help shape the reserve component effectively for the future."
Roles and missions, force structure, homeland defense recruiting and retention, and adapting the nation's "social compact" with Guardsmen and Reservists to contemporary requirements were among the study areas.
Many of the report's recommendations focused on the Army Guard and Reserve. They include providing at least $13 billion more over the next six years to reset equipment, maintaining the Guard at 34 brigade combat teams, and limiting the total length of mobilizations to 12 months.
The report also urged the Defense Department to be more flexible in calling and employing the reserve-component personnel. The old "one size fits all" approach to service in the reserve component no longer works, it said.
However, it called for retaining the current health care and retirement system until "it can be demonstrated that modifying these programs would likely enhance recruiting, retention and medical readiness."
The complete report is available at www.ngaus.org.
© 2006 National Guard Association of the United States Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Source: National Guard
