Why am I not surprised!? Just what the left wants, a weak Military. Guard to go dark!

HK> The left strikes again.

Cash-Strapped National Guard Warns It Will Be Forced to Cancel Training, Ground Aircraft


U.S. Army Col. Chris McKinney, right, commander of both the 177th Military Police Brigade, Michigan National Guard, and Joint Task Force Independence for the Capitol Response mission, speaks with soldiers in Washington, D.C. Feb. 7, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard/Capt. Joe Legros)
22 Jun 2021
Military.com | By Steve Beynon
The National Guard is facing a severe funding shortage after its months-long mission securing the U.S. Capitol after the Jan. 6 pro-Trump assault. If the force isn't reimbursed $520 million soon, it will have to cancel training events, schools and weekend drills, and even ground aircraft, Military.com has learned.

According to a memo from the Guard to Congress and obtained by Military.com, funding to recuperate the costs the force spent from Jan. to May on Capitol security needs to be assured by July 1. If not, commanders in all 54 U.S. states and territories will be notified to brace for halted operations and the potential cancellation of drills in August and September.

Annual training in July could be shortened or canceled, the memo states. Come Aug. 1, all events and schools will be halted, it adds. If that happens, the National Guard Bureau estimates "thousands'' of soldiers will lose out on enough service time this year to affect their retirement.

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On top of unit-level training being canceled, the memo states that 2,000 "functional and occupational" schools will be suspended. This would likely mean courses troops take to reclass into new jobs and schools necessary for promotion, which could be a serious blow to career progression for officers and enlisted members. The memo said that school slots will be shifted to 2022, but noted "funds are not projected to be available."

Pentagon leaders warned Congress its failure to act will have serious consequences for the Guard.

"It will impact their ability in the near term to be able to train and adequately prepare the Guard for its future, for its current responsibilities," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Senate Appropriations Committee last week.

It is unclear how full-time troops will be impacted and whether they would be sent home temporarily; the National Guard Bureau wasn't able to immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Army Guard will also cease all ground vehicle maintenance activities and halt all vehicle movement until sometime in fiscal 2022, which starts in October. The Guard estimates stalled training will set the force back "8-12 months" on vehicle readiness. Affected areas could range from training for gunnery, to qualifying soldiers to maintain and operate vehicles.

All Army Guard rotary wing operations are expected to be severely impacted. The Guard told Congress it will restrict flying and maintenance on aircraft. Aviation units "are unlikely to recover for 10-14 months," according to the memo.

The Air National Guard will cut back two weeks worth of flying, which could have a vast impact on both the force's ability to fly and pilots to maintain certifications. This would compound the Air Guard's efforts to recover from the pandemic's impact on training and reduced flying time.

Last week, Military.com reported that the National Guard will eliminate retention bonuses on July 1, the same day commanders will be warned to start reining in training. A spokesman for the Guard said the two issues are separate; the Guard already has far exceeded its retention goals this year and will not hand out bonuses for continuing service until sometime next year.

The House passed a bill to reimburse the National Guard and bolster Capitol security in May. The Senate is still crafting its own bil, but it is unclear how long it will take to pass its legislation once finished.

One lawmaker pointed out that the Capitol Police will also run into funding issues soon.

"Without Senate action, the National Guard, which provided protection to the Capitol after the attack of January 6, will have to begin cutting training in August," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. "Senate Republicans have refused to join bipartisan negotiations to address these urgent security needs, and now the Capitol Police risks running out of funding this summer."

A spokesperson for Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the top Republican on the committee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct the total reimbursement the Guard is requesting.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Army National Guard to Halt Re-Up Bonuses Amid Sky-High Retention

Related Topics: Military Headlines National Guard Army Budget

 

Obama cut hundreds of billions of dollars from the dod budget while there was a war going on 2 fronts and American service men (mostly) dieing.
When cutting funding wasn't enough they burdened the military with bs like forcing the navy to buy $40 a gallon "renewable jet fuel" and forced the army to spend money on solar panels to try and replace diesel generators which didn't work.
Forced the army to waste money on a hybrid hmmvw replacement that was DoA. Out of all the dumb ideas the one that could make expeditionary vehicles quieter and more fuel efficient wasn't a horrible one.

 

Reckon the guard should pull down the ''Fence'' and go home?

 

Nah leave the fence up so the ruling classless mob can have a place to hide. Then lock the gates and throw away the keys,

 

As if the Fascist SOBs even care what happens to the Reserve/Guard or even the Active Duty folks - they don't.

But, I'm a bit confused... The Guard wrapped things up in in DC and went back home, right? I get it that financially guarding Wash DC has put them in the hole but...They're not still there...are they?

 

National Guard troops leave US Capitol more than 4 months after January 6th riot

WASHINGTON - More than 2,000 National Guard troops called in to secure the nation's capital after the January 6th attack are headed home.

The National Guard left D.C. at midnight Monday. The number of troops guarding the Capitol has decreased as members were sent home every few months.

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The National Guard was called in following the January 6th riots. Over 25,000 troops were guarding the District on Inauguration Day.

Jamil Jaffer, founder of the George Mason University's National Security Institute has held many national security roles, says now is the right time to remove the troops and begin reopening the Capitol.

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"We are at a good stage where we can continue to maintain the safety of the Capitol with the D.C. Metro Police, Capitol Police and Supreme Court Police but of course if there's a need the National Guard is not far."

Jaffer says the January 6h attack has left law enforcement more prepared for future security threats.

National Guard troops leave US Capitol
More than 2,000 National Guard troops called in to secure the nation's capital after the January 6th attack are headed home.





"Prior to the events of the January 6th insurrection I think people were thinking about international terrorists, perhaps a single shooter that might be a concern. And now we're sort of on alert of Americans becoming violent and attempting to rebel against the United States and against our government," he said.

Last week the House passed a $1.9 billion spending bill that would pay back the National Guard and pay overtime to Capitol Police. The spending plan, which still needs to pass in the Senate would also create a response force that would aid capitol police in emergencies, boost security for members of congress and fortify doors and windows in the Capitol.

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Jaffer says the bill will help with security issues but adds the key to preventing something like January 6th from happening again is politicians ending divisive rhetoric.





"From a security standpoint what you really have to do is understand how these things are happening. If it's an overseas terrorist group, you have to take action overseas. If it's a domestic group, you have to understand the concerns and solve for them. To prevent this from happening we can't have a situation where American politicians are calling for or supporting an attack against the government. It's not acceptable and we have to address that very directly," Jaffer said.

The House also voted to authorize a commission to investigate the January 6th attack which Jaffer says is crucial.

"I think the commission is an important thing. I think we need to understand what happened on January 6th. I think it needs to be bipartisan. We need to bring people together, have a conversation, understand the underlying causes and make sure they don't happen again," he said.

The Senate still needs to vote to authorize the commission. However, it's unclear if it will pass, as many Republicans have expressed opposition.

 

The state of Orygun has pulled out it's emergency funds to keep the states national guard funded through November!
As you know, we are at extreme risk for wild/forest fires again, and the Nat.Guard have been tasked with helping when needed!

I live right across the street from the big rotor wing aviation unit( 4 squadrons) comprised of heavy and medium search and rescue units as well as general defenses. This season, all aircraft have been put into fire fighting rotation and all have been painted hot pink for visual identity. They have been practicing with the dipping buckets here for the last few months, as well as rotating their ground based assets ( fuel supply trucks, and logistics) to be able to deploy remotely as needed! We also have a large Coast Guard contingency here ready to assist as needed, and they are also training up with the Guard/Reserves all across the state!

Gonna be a hot summer, plan for lots of big fires!

 

I bet they will always have funds for "diversity" and "sensitivity" training.