National Guard and Reserves
Over the last several years the National Guard and Reserve component have been placed under alarming strain. Both have been frequently used in the war in Iraq. In addition the National Guard must also aid in homeland defense initiatives. They are facing a severe shortage of resources that must be addressed.
CSIS: The Future of the National Guard and Reserves: The Beyond Goldwater–Nichols Phase III Report
The way the United States uses its National Guard and Reserves has been evolving over the last decade, but for many of those years the changes went unnoticed, even by members of the defense community. With the September 11 attacks and subsequent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, however, the curtain has been raised on this process of transformation. Americans now see that the National Guard and Reserves are not just waiting in the wings in case the country goes to war, but rather are already an integral part of the military’s operational force deployed around the world.
GAO Report: Plans Needed to Improve Army National Guard Equipment Readiness and Better Integrate Guard into Army Force Transformation Initiatives
"GAO is recommending that the Secretary of Defense direct the Secretary of the Army to develop and submit to Congress plans and funding strategies to address the Army National Guard’s equipment shortfalls, accurately track and
replace equipment its forces left overseas, and complete planning to integrate the Army National Guard into its modular and rotational force initiatives. DOD agreed with
the recommendations."
GAO Report: Army National Guard and Army Reserve Readiness for 21st Century Challenges, testimony before the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves
"This statement, which draws on prior GAO work, focuses on
challenges in sustaining Army reserve component equipment and personnel readiness while supporting ongoing operations and the extent to which the Army’s planned transformation initiatives will alleviate equipment and personnel shortages and enhance readiness."
2007 National Guard Posture Statement
The Army National Guard has made significant contributions both at home and abroad, including the war in Iraq. This report overviews homeland defense, support of the troops, the progress and tranformation of the Guard in the 21st century.
Heritage Foundation Backgrounder: "Equipping the Army National Guard for the 21st Century"
The Army National Guard currently faces a severe shortage of available equipment within the United States and needs its own modernization program to buy the equipment that meets its unique low-end and high-end mission needs. The common-sense solution to, and only affordable option available for, this equipment modernization program is the Army’s Stryker Brigade Combat Team model.
Compensation and Voluntary Participation in a Continuum of Service
Since the end of the Cold War and the advent of September 11, 2001, there are few indications that reserve and National Guard troop levels will decrease in the near future. With these characteristic changes in our reserve forces, the DoD is looking for new ways to increase opportunities for voluntary participation in the armed forces. This paper specifically focuses on the Continuum of Service proposal.
