Fully fund National Guard

The name "National Guard" says it all. But increasingly, National Guard members have played a greater role on foreign soil, in Afghanistan and Iraq. These long deployments cause state governors to worry about their ability to deal with domestic disas\ters should the need arise.

The governors became increasingly concerned when President Bush's 2007 budget included money for 333,000 Guard troops instead of the current authorized strength of 350,000. Despite assurances from Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld over funding and plans to restructure the Guard, some governors have said they will not be satisfied until the federal budget matches the promises.

The governors' concerns are apt considering that the National Guard is also needed at home to secure the homeland and to help respond to domestic disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In Utah, the National Guard's central missions are homeland security and work in the community. The state-controlled citizen soldiers work closely with local law enforcement agencies and the state homeland security office. Utah's National Guard helped search for Elizabeth Smart, provided security at the Athletes Village during the 2002 Winter Games and have helped respond to natural disasters such as floods. This summer, Utah will host a major training exercise to better prepare for a large-scale disaster such as Hurricane Katrina.

As the Bush administration explains it, the budget cuts are part of an overall effort to reduce the number of National Guard units involved in heavy combat while increasing units devoted to engineering and policing. This restructuring would make it less expensive to re-equip Guard units and make the Guard more nimble in dealing with natural disasters or homeland security issues, administration officials say. As objectives have changed in the Middle East, the nature of the National Guard should change as well.

No doubt, state governors want a National Guard that is as well-trained and as well-equipped as possible. Many understand the Bush administration's objectives in restructuring the military. But they are duty bound to question the marked differences between Bush's Department of Defense budget recommendations and verbal commitments to fund the Guard at the fully authorized level. Governors understand that the security of the homeland and their ability to cope with natural disasters may well depend upon it.