US Guard chief: Billions more needed for equipment

[Barrett808]

Source: Reuters

US Guard chief: Billions more needed for equipment
By Kristin Roberts

WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. National Guard has been strained by multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and faces equipment shortfalls totaling tens of billions of dollars, the Guard's top general said on Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said the Army National Guard needs $13.1 billion through 2013 to boost equipment levels and the Air National Guard needs $8.8 billion for equipment in that time.

That funding would give Guard units in each U.S. state 90 percent of the equipment they are authorized to have, he said, up from the current average of 50 percent. Historically, states have had about 70 percent of their authorized equipment and the current shortfall is due in part to war-zone deployments.

Blum dismissed arguments that the Guard should operate with less equipment because of agreements among states to share resources in times of crisis. Each U.S. state and territory has a Guard force with both federal and state responsibilities.

"There's no time to start moving from neighboring states and start drawing from consolidated sites, as some people have suggested," Blum told reporters in Washington. "My problem is not with predictable events. My problem is how do we get the Guard ready for no-notice events that will happen, like an earthquake or a tornado or a terrorist event or a combination of all three."

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19259213.htm

[rodeodance]

1. ask Bush, I am sure he will toss you a crumb or two to keep you happy

[liberal renegade]

2. Ask a few republican billionaires for a donation...

[Megahurtz]

3. They'll Just Print More.

:crazy::nuke:

[tridim]

4. Too bad NG, that's Halliburton's money.

[olddad56]

5. wrong, not another penny is needed, except for transportation home.