National Guard Archives
Guard Border MIssion Wraps Up
By Charlie
Jump Start Jumps TOC:
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has told the governors that the military was just a temporary boost during crackdowns that have brought a 20 percent drop in migrant apprehensions the past year--an indicator that overall illegal traffic is down."OJS has succeeded," Chertoff wrote recently to the four governors. "Although there is more to accomplish, the administration has made great progress toward securing our borders and combating the threats of criminals and terrorists exploiting our borders."
The Guard touts a list of achievements, including:
* building 38 miles of new border fence,
* building 90 miles of vehicle barriers and
* assisting in 174,317 apprehensions.
"In our view, we have had a raging success. We think we made a difference," said National Guard Bureau spokesman Randal Noller.
Meanwhile, from news agency that I apparently have to pay to quote from, the border state governors are very concerned about the end of OJS, and according to the news agency, the governors of Arizona and California both sent a letter to Washington to request an extension of the operation, even going so far as to call the planned withdrawal "irresponsible."
I would like to remind the state governors that it is fully within their power to deploy their state national guard assets in accordance with US Title 32 for "providing trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise required by state law. " The "as otherwise required" clause in the mission could easily relate to a border security role, but I think the wrinkle here is who will pay for it. All in all, OJS was a successful, bread and butter National Guard mission, and big ups to everyone that participated.
Pretty Good National Guard Video
By Charlie
From the department of "if not me, then who", a great report on the RSP (Recruit Sustainment Program) that the National Guard runs to prepare recruits for Basic training. The Guard's RSP increases the retention rate of the troops they send to Basic by familiarizing them the military system before they ship out.
They "coined" the reporter that went through the RSP training. I only wish more reporters could go through this before they report from the various hotel in the Green Zone.
Guard Border Mission Draws to a close
By Charlie
...BUT, Leaders of 3 states want to keep Guard on duty
Gov. Janet Napolitano is again pleading for an extension of the border-security operation that has placed National Guard troops along the border since June 2006.Known as Operation Jump Start, the mission was designed to bolster the border with thousands of National Guard troops until an equal number of Border Patrol officers could be hired to take their place.
But with Border Patrol staffing still inadequate and a planned virtual fence delayed by technical troubles, Napolitano, a Democrat, warned in a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday that a planned July 15 sunset of the operation would be "irresponsible."
"We respectfully request that Congress extend and fully fund Operation Jump Start at numbers necessary to maintain the hard-won improvements in operational control of the border," Napolitano wrote in a joint letter along with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.
I think that the timely use of the Guard to support civil authorities in times of disaster (which some define as the current situation on the border) is perfectly in line with its mission. The question that arises several months (or years) is mission creep. While the Guard is supposed to supplement civil authorities in times of crisis, it is not intended to BE the authority, especially for something like border patrol, clearly a domestic security mission. The Border Patrol should be the force that patrols the border, not the Guard. With all of the priorities that Guard has now, to include training for war overseas, preparing for disaster response missions, and patrolling the border is a mission that could be handed off to civilian law enforcement authorities in light of these other requirements.
I guess I just don't understand...
By Bull Nav
So I'm driving on I94 Friday night headed for drill at NAVSTA Great Lakes. I have been making this trip for 16 months now, so I have all the good radio stations picked out so I can rock the whole way there.
Just past Kalamazoo, a commercial comes on WIRX and I don't understand a word they are saying. My high school Spanish just ain't what it used to be, but I pick up a couple of words here and there.
Towards the end of the spot I hear "Guardia Nacional" and then it dawned on me: this was a recruiting commercial for the Michigan National Guard.
I was kinda shocked.
I mean, I understand marketing and hitting your target audience, but what message does it send when you advertise for part of our armed forces in a foreign language? Say they take a kid with no English, how does his leadership deal with that? How is he going to be an effective part of the unit?
No, I don't understand it at all.
'Course, I don't understand this either...
How to Rate Officers Better
By Charlie
Some thoughts on OERs, and why we should switch to a 360-degree evaluation method:
Read More »
NORTHCOM: The Commission on the National Guard and Reserves can pound sand!
By Charlie
Quicker than a jackrabbit in the mud, NORTHCOM’s public affairs office fires back in reaction to that report I linked to two days ago. Point, Counterpoint!
USNORTHCOM Responds to Commission: Ready for Homeland DefensePETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (Army News Service, Nov. 4, 2008) -- U.S. Northern Command's primary mission is Homeland Defense, and its commander said Friday that USNORTHCOM stands ready to respond to any homeland-defense or civil-support mission requirement.
"The U.S. military absolutely has the capacity to respond to potential threats within our nation today. It will get better in this coming year and continue to improve beyond that," said Gen. Gene Renuart, USNORTHCOM commander.
USNORTHCOM has prepared detailed plans for responding to situations that range from pandemic influenza to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear events, and the command has redefined its readiness capabilities since Hurricane Katrina.When it comes to providing forces in response to incidents, the command has nearly 50 National Guard officers fully integrated within its operations, in addition to National Guard Civil Support Teams located within every U.S. state and territory, and 17 regional consequence response units.
Vets Gone Wild?
By Charlie
One good link to the NYT, one really bad one:
The New York Times found 121 cases in which veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan committed a killing in this country, or were charged with one, after their return from war. In many of those cases, combat trauma and the stress of deployment — along with alcohol abuse, family discord and other attendant problems — appear to have set the stage for a tragedy that was part destruction, part self-destruction.
Phil Carter at Inteldump says this:
America needs to wrap its arms around its sons and daughters who go to war, not alienate them and push them away with this kind of narrative. We sent these men and women to fight; we have a sacred trust to ensure they're taken care of when they come home. Irresponsible journalism like this impedes that effort by giving people the wrong impression about combat veterans. I'm disappointed in the New York Times for running this story, and for giving it such prominence.
When I returned from deployment, troops were given multiple options for veteran support networks, counseling, and outreach. The whole demobilization process that units currently undergo is designed to evaluate and treat any post-combat stress that soldiers may have. Back in WWII, the demob process consisted of 4 weeks on a troop transport ship back stateside. That long time period gave troops an opportunity to decompress, and gain an understanding of the challenges that they went through together. This greatly assisted them in understanding their experience. In Vietnam, individual deployments, the draft, and other factors contributed to troops returning home with no network of support there to greet them. This has dramatically changed. Now whole units, not individual soldiers rotate back to the states. This assists in the re-integration process, and gives soldiers ways to communicate their problems to others.
The furtherance of this "Rambo syndrome" needs to be stopped before it starts, because 2008 is not 1972. The Vietnam era's problems do not translate to our current conflicts, and the military has done a much better job at reintegrating soldiers. Despite the may problems facing the force today, I think that the efforts at getting troops back to civilian life have been very good, and I can speak to this as a soldier who has just returned from deployment.
Meet the Author of the "Fighting 69th"
By Charlie
For anyone in the New York area,
Sean Michael Flynn, author of “The Fighting 69th", will be doing a book signing at Borders on Saturday, January 12 at 2 PM at Borders at 59 Wolf Rd., Albany NY 12205.
My post on the the Fighting 69th is here. As I said before, it is a great book, and would make a great gift for the holiday that is rapidly approaching...
In the Mail: The Fighting 69th
By Charlie
One Remarkable National Guard Unit's Journey from Ground Zero to Baghdad, by Sean Michael Flynn.
Flynn's book narrates the recent history of the 69th Infantry Regiment (Light), New York Army National Guard, which is part of the 42nd ID.
The regiment, like most National Guard units, is reflective of its community and has a gloried past. Flynn does a great job of “painting the picture” of what the unit looks like –the personalities, the leaders, and the troops. What Flynn does (and what I like most about the book) is show how the rich history of the 69th upheld by the present day troops, despite the obstacles they had to overcome.
The 69th served in the 9/11 recovery effort, and due to their armory location, it was one of the first units to respond. The unit did heavy lifting during Noble Eagle, guarding sensitive sites, including West Point. The 69th played a major role in OIF, which takes up most the book, and Flynn gives an outstanding depiction of combat and the stresses it imposed on the men.
Here’s the Amazon blurb:
With a charismatic mix of irreverent humor and eye-opening honesty, Sean Flynn, himself a member of the 69th, memorably chronicles the transformation of this motley band of amateur soldiers into a battle- hardened troop at work in one of the most lethal quarters of Baghdad: the notorious Airport Road, a blood- soaked strand that grabbed headlines and became a bellwether for progress in postinvasion Iraq. At home on the concrete and asphalt like no other unit in the U.S. Army, Gotham’s Fighting 69th finally brings its own rough justice to this lawless precinct by ignoring army discipline and turning to the street-fighting tactics they grew up with and know best.It’s a great book, so get it for a Guardsman in your family for Christmas!
