Lieutenant General Roger C. Schultz, Director Army National Guard
Overview
The Army National Guard stands with the Active Component as we wage war against the purveyors of global terrorism. Today, Soldiers in the Army National Guard have answered the call of the nation and are serving across the nation and the world. The Army National Guard, as an integral part of the U.S. Army, is transforming itself to better prosecute the Global War on Terrorism while remaining a ready and relevant force that is prepared to defend our homeland.
The Posture Statement provides the Army National Guard an opportunity to share with Congress what we have done in the past year and where we are heading in the future. The Army Directorate in the National Guard Bureau is responsible for how the Army National Guard supports the Soldiers, their families, and their employers in communities throughout the United States. Our Soldiers come from every state, territory, and segment of society, and we recognize that we support and are supported by those around us. The Army National Guard is a community-based military organization and, as such, we are prepared to assist our cities and towns in times of natural or man-made disaster. Army National Guard Soldiers are Citizen-Soldiers, and we recognize that we must fulfill dual roles as ordinary citizens and as members of the Armed Forces of the United States.
As the Army National Guard continues to protect our nation, the Chief, National Guard Bureau, has identified three priorities for the Army National Guard that will nurture this responsibility: Support the War Fight, Homeland Defense, and Transformation for the 21st Century. As our enemies seek ways to wage their war of terrorism in the United States and around the world, we are and must remain ready. The Army National Guard has proven itself capable of securing our borders while simultaneously carrying out a variety of missions across the globe. Our goals are to maximize our ability to support our Soldiers, protect our nation, and support the warfighters by providing a trained and ready force. It cannot be stressed enough that the Army National Guard has an increased and more vital role in the U.S. Army than ever before. The U.S. Army is at the forefront of the conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq. As Reserve Components of the Army continue to deploy at increasing rates, the Army National Guard joins the Army in its objectives to remain ready and relevant in the midst of a war where our enemy is elusive. We are transforming ourselves into a more flexible, responsive, and capabilities-based force that is able to seamlessly integrate into the larger Army. As the Army transforms itself from the Current Force to the Future Force, so will the Army National Guard.
The Army National Guard is ready for every challenge both here at home and abroad. We are not and cannot be complacent. The support we receive from our citizens, families, employers, and legislatures is invaluable. Our Constitution charges us to defend America, and we will do this with the same dedication and steadfast purpose as we have done for nearly 400 years.
Support the War Fight
The Guard Overseas
Not since World War II have so many Soldiers been activated for wars. The Army National Guard demonstrated its responsiveness by providing ready units in support of numerous overseas missions throughout 2003. These missions ranged from combat operations to Post-Hostility and Stability Operations. At the close of the year, 75,000 National Guardsmen were on active duty serving overseas. The year began with our Soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and ended with Soldiers from the Vermont and Oklahoma National Guard training the Afghanistan National Army. There are just over 4,000 Soldiers in Afghanistan today. The war in Iraq required the activation of 69,380 Soldiers and there are just under 60,000 serving there today. The war in Iraq and in Afghanistan exacted a toll on our most precious resource, the Soldier. Understandably and regrettably there have been 60 Soldiers who have lost their lives fighting these two campaigns. The war in Iraq saw the activation of brigade size units, Attack Aviation Battalions, Combat Engineers, and Military Police. The Army has plans to schedule several more brigades and potentially a Division Headquarters for future rotations. Most Soldiers that were activated for the war served an average of 18 months, with 12 months of duty in Iraq. Related to the two overseas wars has been a demand on our Military Police units to guard the enemy Prisoners of War in Cuba. In addition to the direct role in the overseas wars, the National Guard remains the Army’s primary force conducting operations in Kosovo, Bosnia, and the Sinai. Just under 6,000 National Guardsmen are there today. What were once active duty missions are now principally missions of the Guard.
There are two other noteworthy events for the Guard’s overseas duty. The Army National Guard was given the mission to protect ships in transit to the Persian Gulf, and we also provided 9,000 Soldiers to the Air Force to protect their bases abroad and at home. These unplanned missions simply demonstrate the accessibility, reliability, and capability of the National Guard. Our overseas presence today is supporting missions on five continents, and the future demands a level of commitment similar to previous years. Not since World War II has our call to duty been so great. It is important to note that our total commitment since 9/11 has been a call to federal duty for 175,734 Soldiers. That represents just over 50 percent of our force of 350,000.
Readiness of the Force
Well before the attacks of September 11th, Army National Guard units were being mobilized more frequently. The Total Force Policy in the Army worked. During the Cold War period of our Army, the expectation of readiness for the Reserve Components was to be “generally ready for war.” There were plans with TPFDDs and windows of time for expected deployment. The plan was to move to an active duty installation and then provide units with additional equipment and extra training. Since 9/11, that level of readiness and window of time have changed. Today our units are required to deploy at the highest level of readiness, and the time from notification to deployment is sometimes a matter of hours. In 2003, our units did extensive exchanging of Soldiers and equipment as they prepared for war in Iraq. We demonstrated flexibility, but placed unnecessary hardships on our Soldiers in the process. Soldiers went to war with equipment they had not previously trained upon. Thousands went to war with units other than their own. This method of exchanging resources after a unit mobilizes is not conducive to long-term success. Units must be manned, trained, and equipped before they get the call to go to war. Train—Mobilize—Deploy! The Army National Guard’s level of readiness in the future should be C1, the highest level. The Army National Guard must modernize when the Army modernizes. We must raise the Full-Time Manning levels to 100 percent of Requirements. Our failure to resource Army National Guard units for any mission will place undue hardship on Soldiers as they go to war.
Medical and Dental Readiness
The Army and the Army National Guard have a vested interest in the care of Soldiers. The Army requires physical fitness prior to deploying to a war. Today’s deployment timelines are shorter, and there have been some delays in our ability to respond to war because of the medical readiness of our Soldiers. Most, but not all, Soldiers have medical and dental plans. There are limits on the Army’s ability to fix medical shortcomings after the Soldier is mobilized for war. We have experienced medical backlogs at some of the Army’s installations responsible for providing medical treatment.
The future of medical readiness rests in providing complete medical evaluations prior to being alerted for war. We envision that each of our State’s Joint Force Headquarters provide support in the initial care for Soldiers and refer Soldiers for medical support beyond their capacity.
The National Guard plans to provide periodic physicals to its Soldiers. This will enable our units to transition faster from a state of peace to war. We also envision leveraging the medical capabilities of our communities to offset the shortages in military medical providers. Medical readiness and health care for our Soldiers are key variants to our ability to train, mobilize, and deploy in the fashion of a Minuteman.
Training Soldiers and Growing Leaders
Supporting the Warfighter will be best accomplished by training the force with an integrated training strategy for individuals, leaders, and units through live, virtual, and constructive training.
Throughout 2003, the Army National Guard prepared units and Soldiers for wars and responded to the nation’s call for contingency operations. Our units trained at the Army National Guard Training Centers and the Army’s Combat Training Centers. They participated in joint exercises and conducted training deployments overseas. The key to training Brigades is to have them participate in the Brigade Command and Battle Staff training. Five brigades participated in this training in 2003. Seven of the eight Army National Guard divisions participated in the Battle Command Training Program at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk in Louisiana in 2003.
The Army National Guard is committed to producing the best Soldiers. An excellent training venue is the Army National Guard training centers. These centers train Soldiers, simulate real-world conditions, and provide training enablers for the commanders.
Another way the Army National Guard achieves training excellence is through Distributed Learning. The Army National Guard’s emphasis on Distributed Learning reduces the time Soldiers are away from their home stations, eliminates excess travel time and costs, and takes less time than training in a formal school setting. The goal of this program is to maximize training time by providing more local access to training and education at any time and at any location. The Army National Guard’s limited training time, training dollars, and sometimes access to training ranges has generated an increased reliance on low-cost, small-footprint training technologies. We have invested in a virtual training infrastructure to meet or exceed the Army’s training requirements. As more missions such as homeland defense and weapons of mass destruction are required of the National Guard, the ability of our forces to respond requires that we are ready at all times. The following new virtual technologies are tools critical to achieving these readiness objectives:
• Advanced Bradley Full Crew Interactive Skills Trainer
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, an armored personnel carrier, is the primary weapon system of the U.S. Army Mechanized Infantry, as well as a critical system for the cavalry. The current force structure plans have the Army National Guard providing more than half of the U.S. military’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle force. The Army Infantry School approved the Advanced Bradley Full Crew Interactive Skills Trainer as a precision gunnery trainer. This is a low-cost, deployable training system that attaches directly to the Bradley and therefore does not require a simulated vehicle mockup, thereby better preparing the crew for live fire gunnery.
• Abrams Full Crew Interactive Skills Trainer
The Army National Guard provides 54 percent of the armor force in the U.S. military. This equates to nearly 2,500 Abrams tanks with the vast majority being the M1A1 configuration. The Abrams Full Crew Interactive Skills Trainer is approved by U.S. Army Armor School as a precision gunnery trainer. This, too, is a low-cost, deployable training system that attaches directly to the Abrams tank and therefore does not require a simulated vehicle mockup, thereby better preparing the crew for live fire gunnery.
• Simulations Network Rehost
In the mid-1980s, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency developed a new concept in simulation training called the Network. The goal of this trainer is to expose mounted combat forces to mock battles in an effort to develop tactical maneuver skills and improve situation awareness of commanders. This program provides a highly cost-effective means of providing basic tactical platoon-level training capability to a highly dispersed force. The Simulations Network units are platoon sets for the Abrams Main Battle Tank and the Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The National Guard’s force structure accounts for approximately 50 percent of these mounted combat forces.
• Table Top Trainers (M1A1 and M2)
The Table Top Trainer program is the linchpin of the National Guard’s virtual training strategy. The ammunition and operational tempo cost to train this fleet exceeds $1 billion annually. The virtual training systems have been introduced to offset costs that were even higher in previous years. A single low-fidelity Table Top Trainer can be reconfigured to supply 60 to 70 percent of the associated skills training for Abrams Tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and Stryker Light Armor Vehicles. The remaining skills tasks can be trained in the available 25 percent training time in the high-fidelity trainers or through live fire events.
Combat Training Centers and National Training Center
In 2003, the Army National Guard sent over 28,000 Soldiers to participate in training at the Army’s two Combat Training Centers. This training program cost $23 million but produced the most significant increase to training readiness for those units and Soldiers.
North Carolina’s 30th Brigade formed the core of a 34-unit, 15-state task force comprising the 5,545 Army National Guard Soldiers who deployed to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, in May and June 2003. This training rotation was the culminating exercise in an intensive four-year train-up. The North Carolina Joint Force Headquarters formed Task Force Tar Heel that served as the division headquarters throughout the train-up and at the National Training Center. The 30th and North Carolina’s Joint Force Headquarters executed wartime mobilization tasks by deploying the entire task force’s equipment and personnel from facilities across the country to Fort Irwin’s desert environment.
During 2003, additional Engineer, Field Artillery, and Infantry units representing 3,732 Soldiers deployed to the National Training Center in support of Active Component rotations. These units served both as friendly and opposing force units integrated side by side with their active military counterparts. An additional 1,123 Soldiers assigned to Direct Support and General Support Maintenance Companies were sent to Fort Irwin to supplement maintenance and reconstitution operations.
Joint Readiness Training Center
In 2003, the majority of Florida’s 53rd Brigade was mobilized and deployed to Iraq. In preparation for this mission, they underwent training at the Joint Readiness Training Center. While there, they supported the training of the 10th Mountain Division, 7th Special Forces Group, and the 3rd Brigade (Stryker), 2nd Infantry Division.
Combined Arms Center
Through the Army National Guard’s Battle Command Training Center, the U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, supported the 29th Infantry Division and 49th Armored Division during their Battle Command Training Program rotation in 2003. The training center also conducted twelve Brigade Command and Battle Staff Training Program seminars. Over 15,500 Army National Guard Soldiers participated in these training events.
Force-on-Force Training
The Army National Guard Force-on-Force Training Program supports the readiness of the National Guard’s ground combat units. This program simulates battles that are fought using laser-targeting systems to replicate live ammunition. Some 2,080 Soldiers from Army National Guard divisions participated in Force-on-Force events in 2003.
In 2003, Army National Guard brigades participated in Battle Command Training Program staff exchanges, train-up exercises at the Combat Training Centers, and gunnery and divisional artillery training. A total of 30,034 Army National Guard Soldiers, 8 percent of the Army National Guard’s endstrength, conducted training at or in association with the Army’s training facilities at a cost of approximately $26 million. The payoff of this relationship is obvious. Three of these brigades, the 30th, the 39th, and the 81st were directed to prepare for war in Iraq. They will deploy there early in 2004.
Recruiting and Retention
The Army National Guard ended 2003 with 1,091 Soldiers above its endstrength goal of 350,000, a result of surpassing retention goals and retaining quality Soldiers. Despite the unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, the Army National Guard validated the three-tenet Strength Maintenance philosophy of recruiting, attrition management, and retention. The “Oath to Expiration of Term of Service” philosophy has helped to create a partnership with the units by building greater trust and cooperation between the recruiting force, the full-time support force, and unit leadership. The Army National Guard has developed numerous tools to ensure continued success:
• Highly successful advertising campaigns and recruiting initiatives that integrate the recruiting and retention force with traditional unit members.
• Dynamic recruiting and retention programs to highlight the relevance, features, and benefits of Army National Guard service to current and potential Soldiers.
• Soldier and family member feedback programs that assess unit environments and determine Soldier motivations for joining and remaining in the Army National Guard.
• Post-mobilization surveys and retention initiatives to facilitate the re-integration of the unit and its members following deployment.
• Post-mobilization “Freedom Salute” campaign to recognize Soldier, family member, and employer support of extensive overseas deployments.
• Development of Recruit Sustainment Programs to better prepare new Soldiers for initial active duty training and promote unit strength readiness.
• Attrition management/retention programs to educate leaders on caring for and mentoring Soldiers in the high operations tempo environment of the Global War on Terror.
• Resource allocation that optimizes the effectiveness of the Strength Maintenance Philosophy and the teaming of the Recruiting and Retention Force and traditional Army National Guard Soldiers.
Selected Reserve Incentives Program
• Up to $8,000 Enlistment Bonus for Non-Prior Service enlistees
- $3,000 for critical skill
- $3,000 for non-prior service bonus
- $2,000 for Off-Peak ship to training
• $3,000 Civilian Acquired Skills Program for NPS enlistees
• $2,500 for a first 3-Year Re-enlistment/Extension Bonus
• $2,000 for a second 3-Year Re-enlistment/Extension Bonus
• $2,500 for a first 3-year prior service Enlistment Bonus
• $2,000 for a second 3-year prior service Enlistment Bonus
• $50 per month for Affiliation Bonus (72-month maximum)
• $10,000 Student Loan Repayment Program
• $50,000 Health Professional Loan Repayment Program
Army National Guard Incentive Programs are currently undergoing review by program managers for potential adjustments to both the monetary amounts and the payment schedules of the various incentives. We believe these improvements are necessary to compensate our Soldiers, who are contributing to our nation’s defense and deploying overseas on a continuous rotational basis. Our goal is to retain our Soldiers when they return.
Army National Guard Full-Time Support
Dedicated men and women who provide Full-Time Support to Army National Guard Soldiers are a critical part of the Army National Guard. They enhance readiness by assisting Unit Commanders in managing day-to-day requirements. In recent years, the Army National Guard has begun to expand its Full-Time Support force in order to better serve its Soldiers and the units to which they are assigned. To meet readiness requirements, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, in concert with the state Adjutants General, has placed increasing Full-Time Support authorizations as one of the top priorities for the Army National Guard.
The National Guard Bureau will place new Full-Time Support manpower into our units or into positions that directly impact unit readiness. An example is the Military Technicians that will be directly placed into organizational maintenance shops. Junior enlisted grades will increase through fiscal year 2012 and will be applied to the unit level to accomplish many of the missions where it is not uncommon to find single Active Guard Reserve Soldiers working today.
Army National Guard Well-Being
The Army National Guard Well-Being Team works in concert with the Active Army and the Reserve as part of a holistic initiative to address various issues affecting Soldiers, families, retirees, veterans, and civilians. The initiative uses various methods to measure success, weakness, or failure in programs that affect the total Army force. Based on the outcomes of these measures, policies and programs are modified or assets are re-allocated to impact the total Army force.
Diversity Initiatives and Equal Opportunity
The Army National Guard Diversity Initiatives Team addresses demographic realities impacting the Army National Guard as a community-based force. The role of women in American society continues to evolve. More positions in the Army National Guard are open to women based on changes in force structure. With the rapid advance in technology and changes in society, diversity also hinges on generational, technical, and cultural differences.
The Army National Guard Equal Opportunity Team proactively addresses team development and cultural exchanges to foster more productive units and Soldiers. Fundamental to the mission of the Army National Guard, the Equal Opportunity Office addresses issues that arise relating to race, color, gender, sexual harassment, national origin, and religion. The Army National Guard is steadfast in maintaining zero tolerance for all forms and types of discrimination. The Army National Guard will guarantee that all are treated with dignity and respect.
Homeland Defense
Domestic Operations
In 2003, the Army National Guard provided 419,463 mandays in 42 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia to state-level emergency support missions. The year began with Tropical Storm Lilli along the Gulf Coast that required 9,835 mandays for cleanup and security. Super-typhoon Pongsona hit Guam and required 18,822 mandays to provide traffic control, water, debris removal, and security.
The Army National Guard provided 318,131 mandays to Key Asset Protection, the most significant category of Emergency Support Missions. The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster demonstrated how quickly the National Guard responds from a “standing start.” On the day of the disaster, thousands of Army National Guard Soldiers from five states were on duty, recovering and safeguarding debris. This mission required 18,816 mandays of support.
The Army National Guard also provided support to special events, including assistance to law enforcement for the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby. Support to governors in response to Hurricane Isabel ended a busy year.
The Army National Guard routinely performs training missions that simultaneously support and assist our communities. The Innovative Readiness Training Program required 205,000 mandays of support in 2003. Programs included improving schools and parks, building and repairing roads, administering immunizations, and providing medical care to under-served areas.
The California Army National Guard is leading an effort to construct access roads to the U.S.-Mexican border to assist the Border Patrol in dealing with the growing tide of illegal immigrants and narcotics. In Alaska, the Guard is leading a five-year project that will result in a 15-mile road connecting two villages on Annette Island, a trip that currently can only be made by boat. The Army National Guard in Maine, Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, North Carolina, Texas, and Alaska conducted medical training exercises to provide inoculations, physician contacts, dental care, and optometrist services to under-served populations. Innovative Readiness Training projects benefit both the Army National Guard and the communities.
Missile Defense
Defense against ballistic missile attack is a key component of the National Security Strategy in providing for Homeland Security. The National Guard will play a major role in this mission as the force provider for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system in the initial defensive operations/defensive operations phase per National Security Presidential Directive 23, dated December 16, 2002.
The National Guard received an increase of 100 in Active Guard and Reserve authorizations in the fiscal year 2004 President’s Budget request to support this mission. Ground-based Midcourse Missile Defense is a critical element of the Administration’s National Security Strategy and defense of the homeland. This program is continually evolving and undergoing refinement.
Continuity of Operations
The National Guard’s Continuity of Operations Program was conceptualized in 1988 and took on added importance after September 11, 2001. In support of homeland defense, the Guard is utilizing this program as a means to ensure continuous command and control in case of emergency.
Executive orders, Department of Defense directives, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff directives, and Army Regulations require a Continuity of Operations Program. This protects key leaders; allows for the continuity of essential missions; provides for relocation sites; protects vital records and operating files; and ensures survivability, recoverability, and the ability to reconstitute. The National Guard has taken a three-level approach to achieving this end:
• The first level is the Headquarters Department of the Army Continuity of Operations Program that provides the active component with the Army National Guard leadership to support the War fight.
• The second level is the National Guard Continuity of Operations Program that allows both the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard to continue supporting the states and territories in the event of a national disaster.
• Finally, the National Guard is also providing the platform for the 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia to develop their own Continuity of Operations Program initiatives to support both homeland defense and the War fight at the state and local level.
The National Guard plans to exercise the Continuity of Operations Program at all three levels to ensure readiness and preparedness for any situation. Ultimately, Continuity of Operations Programs will ensure that no matter the situation, the National Guard will be ready to continue its essential missions.
Transformation for the 21st Century
The Army National Guard is changing. Although our forces continue to meet today’s missions, tomorrow’s force must be more versatile, ready, and accessible than ever before. They must continue to be capable of full-spectrum operations, but must be better equipped and trained to defend the nation. Future Army National Guard forces must be more interoperable with the Active Component and must be fully capable of operating in a joint or interagency environment. Finally, Guard forces must be postured to support long-term Stability and Support Operations, Peacekeeping Operations, and the missions of the newest Combatant Command, NORTHCOM.
In order to achieve these objectives, the Army National Guard must attract and retain quality Soldiers. We must train and equip them to accomplish the missions of tomorrow.
Force Balance and Restructure
The Department of the Army is revising priorities to better support the National Military Strategy. Under the direction of the Secretary of Defense, the Army is exchanging some formations from the Active Component and the National Guard. These realignments will better align the Army National Guard and the Army in supporting the warfighting and Homeland Defense missions.
Another significant aspect of this force balance analysis is an initiative by the Director of the Army National Guard to reduce the Army National Guard’s force structure with its congressionally authorized personnel endstrength. This rebalancing effort will enable the Army National Guard to deploy units within five to 30 days because their readiness will be improved. The results of force balance adjustments, coupled with the alignment of force structure and personnel endstrength, will allow the Army National Guard to provide divisions, brigade combat teams, and supporting forces that are ready and capable of supporting the full spectrum of military operations required by the National Military Strategy.
High Demand Units
Since 1995, the Army has placed a high demand on the Military Police in the National Guard. Beginning with missions to the Balkans, the rate of work for these units has only increased. Today they are used extensively in the Global War on Terrorism, principally in guarding prisoners. To reduce the stress on Military Police units, we have started to convert Field Artillery units into Military Police. Eighteen additional Military Police units will be organized in the next two years.
Modular Units
The Chief of Staff, Army, has directed a comprehensive reevaluation of the Army’s corps, divisions, and brigade structures with the intent of making these units more expeditionary through modular design. Modular units will allow for a “plug and play” capability, which will enable the Army to provide the flexible mix of capabilities needed by the warfighter. The Army National Guard will adapt existing force structure to the new design envisioned by the leadership of the Army. Over the next few years, we will reconfigure existing brigades, including the 15 enhanced Separate Brigades, to the new Brigade Combat Team design. We will have 34 Brigade Combat Teams and 8 Divisional Headquarters that will be designed in an infantry and armored mix identical to the Active Component’s. This modular capability will provide a new level of flexibility to our organizations as they support the full spectrum of military operations. Distribution of new capabilities will be equitable across the states.
Force Modernization
The Army’s highest priority remains maintaining warfighting readiness. In support of this priority, the Army National Guard is pursuing a modernization strategy that will provide the nation with compatible, interoperable, and strategically relevant forces well into the future.
In the near term, we will ensure our Soldiers are equipped with essential force protection items such as the latest body armor with Small Arms Protective Insert plates for the outer tactical vests, the latest Night Vision Devices, and small arms. To enhance near-term readiness, the Army National Guard will focus on Army procurement of the Black Hawk utility helicopter, High-Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles, Single-Channel Ground and Airborne Radios, Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, and M-22 Automatic Chemical Detector Alarm.
In the midterm, the Army National Guard will ensure the Army earmarks sufficient funding to refurbish or recapitalize its current forces to ensure fleets viability over the next several decades and for future readiness and relevance. The Army National Guard will focus on Current Force systems to include our primary aircraft, the Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, and the Apache; the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank; M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle; M109A6 Paladin Howitzer; Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks; and the 5-ton truck fleet. The Army National Guard will continue working with the Army to ensure program managers bring systems cascaded to the Army National Guard’s Divisional and Corps troop units up to the required standard.
Army National Guard Aviation Modernization & Transformation
Throughout 2003, the focus of the Army National Guard aviation modernization and transformation efforts was directed toward completion of sweeping changes to unit organizational designs. Accompanying these widespread conversions to the Army Aviation Transformation designs was the continued turn-in of obsolete UH-1H/V “Huey” (Iroquois) and OH-58A/C Kiowa series aircraft, and the fielding of the additional modern UH-60A/L Black Hawk and AH-64A/D Apache series aircraft. Unfortunately, while the Army National Guard net inventory of modernized aircraft increased by 8 Black Hawk and 17 Apache aircraft during fiscal year 2003, the resulting Army National Guard levels for these aircraft did not meet Army goals. In addition, most of the supporting or corrective actions scheduled and funded for 2003, such as increased quantities of special tools and spare parts, were effectively negated by the increased requirements for contingency operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Based upon current projections, it is uncertain whether the originally scheduled fiscal year 2002 figures for the Black Hawk and Apache inventory in the Army National Guard will be reached by end of fiscal year 2004. Army fixed-wing aviation modernization efforts are underway to replace the Army National Guard’s C-23 Sherpa cargo aircraft with a more robust and capable airplane.
Information Operations
Army National Guard Information Operations Field Support Teams assist the Brigade, Division, Corps, Joint Task Force, and Combatant Commanders in integrating full-spectrum offensive and defensive information operations, planning, execution, and assessment into their operations. Additionally, Army National Guard full-spectrum Information Operation Vulnerability Assessment Teams, Computer Emergency Response Teams, and Joint Web Risk Assessment Cells contribute to national and homeland security through the protection of information infrastructure. The teams deploy domestically and globally to provide their specialized service to the Combatant Commanders.
In fiscal year 2003, the Army National Guard’s Information Operations program continued to develop technically and tactically focused units that supported the warfighting commanders and provided protection of the nation’s critical information infrastructure across the operational continuum. During the same period, the Army National Guard Information Operations section for the Pennsylvania Guard’s 28th Infantry Division and Minnesota’s 34th Infantry Division deployed in support of peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. Seven Information Operations Field Support Teams and one Computer Emergency Response Team were mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Army National Guard Information Operations program also provided operational support to all major commands and several Army divisions.
This program has trained over 2,400 Reserve and Active Component Soldiers since fiscal year 2000. The program is scheduled to expand its training capability, doubling its capacity in fiscal year 2004.
Logistics and Equipment
The Army National Guard is deployed all over the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism and operations taking place in Afghanistan and Iraq. Army National Guard personnel, in many cases, train on and use older generation equipment to help support these critical operations. This equipment is far behind the current technologies, making much of what is used by the National Guard incompatible with current Army equipment. And in many cases this older equipment is more expensive to operate and maintain. An additional challenge is that operational costs of older equipment are higher than the new versions due to increased failure rates and decreased availability of spare parts. The Army National Guard has faced modernization challenges in previous years for such systems as the High-Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles, Single-Channel Ground and Airborne Radios, chemical and biological detection equipment, and Night Vision Devices. Many of these challenges have had an adverse impact on units preparing for overseas deployment.
The Army National Guard is making significant progress in modernizing its heavy force and bridging its equipment to the digital force. Emerging technologies will dramatically lower the logistics impacts of these systems and substantially reduce repair times, increase operational readiness rates, and eliminate obsolete and unsustainable test equipment. This will allow the Army National Guard to operate its heavy equipment at a higher operational rate while reducing the overall costs for these systems.
Equipment Modernization Challenges in the Army National Guard
• High-Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles
• Single-Channel Ground and Airborne Radios
• Chemical and biological detection equipment
• Night Vision Devices
The Army National Guard currently has a significant portion of the Army’s maintenance infrastructure. This Cold War vestige is too expensive and redundant. Under the Army’s new maintenance strategy, the Guard and other Army elements are transforming their maintenance capabilities from a four-level system to a two-level system. This two-level maintenance system will cut redundancy in the system and allow Army maintenance personnel to more efficiently diagnose and maintain equipment at the forward level.
Another focus area for the Army National Guard is the agility and flexibility provided as a full partner in the Army Acquisition Community. Whether it is grooming expert contingency contracting personnel, facilitating Rapid Fielding activities, and/or participating in major Army Program/Project Executive Offices, Army National Guard Acquisition professionals are engaged in depth. The Army National Guard is aggressively analyzing the task organization of Contingency Support Contracting Teams. The members of these teams, task-organized from the existing Modified Table of Organization and Equipment structure, are identified and trained in advance to support specific deployment requirements, giving deploying commanders the flexibility necessary to accomplish their missions without relying on supporting unit assistance.
Environmental Programs
Training the best force in the world requires the world’s best training areas. The Army National Guard’s environmental programs support the warfighter and homeland defense by sustaining healthy training lands. By reducing training restrictions, the Army National Guard is able to be a good steward of the land it uses, while operating top training facilities. The first Army Compatible Use Buffer under Title 10, U.S. Code 2684A was recently implemented at Camp Blanding, Florida. Within the designated buffer, and in collaboration with other agencies, the National Guard has formed land-use agreements to ensure land-use is compatible with military operations. In addition, Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans will now be used in lieu of critical habitat designation to ensure training lands will continue to be used for training while simultaneously protecting habitat. Also, the Army National Guard has instituted restoration programs to clean and restore contaminated sites. Initiatives at seven sites were recently completed and efforts at five additional sites will be conducted through fiscal year 2005. The Army National Guard is also improving its business practices as they relate to the environment. Environmental program management will be improved through the implementation of mission-focused Environmental Management Systems. The Army National Guard will change its environmental program from one of compliance to one that is proactive and oriented toward the strategic goal of sustainable installations. This will enhance the ability of warfighting units while minimizing environmental impacts. Our organization is utilizing tools such as the Environmental Performance Assessment System’s Compliance Site Inventory, a web-based module that allows environmental managers to track, manage, and query a wide array of compliance data. Recent program developments include a series of protocols to assess the progress of the Environmental Management Systems.
A top priority for the Army National Guard is preparation for fiscal year 2005 base realignment and closure actions and the effect these will have on the environment. The Army National Guard expects to have a complete inventory of training lands by 2006 through its Geographic Information System program. These technologies are critical to the battlefield intelligence component of transformation.
Part of the Joint Force
During the past year, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau directed the most profound organizational change to the National Guard since the end of World War II. The heart of this transformation effort was to combine the separate Army and Air National Guard Headquarters that existed in each state and territory into a Joint Force Headquarters, State. The vision was to make the National Guard more responsive to regional Combatant Commanders and better enable the Guard to defend the nation as part of the Joint Team. The Army National Guard is capable of fighting as part of the Joint Team. Today, operations in both peace and war are conducted by Joint Forces. Army National Guard leaders must be trained and capable of operating in a joint environment. To ensure that its leaders are capable of this, the Army National Guard is developing the means to expose them to joint operations at various stages in their careers, and facilitate the opportunity for them to receive Joint Professional Military Education. These opportunities and experiences with the realities of joint operations will better assure prepared leadership in the Army National Guard.
Predictability for Our Soldiers
The National Guard has manned units from local communities since the first muster in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636. The National Guard is a community-based force where a Soldier may spend an entire career in the same battalion, company, battery, or troop. This provides for unit cohesion, stability, continuity, and the bonds of camaraderie that come from shared hardships and experiences.
Although we remain a “Minuteman” force, predictability is an important factor in retaining our Citizen-Soldier. Since 1996, our force has been consistently called to federal active duty. Our Soldiers have and will continue to muster for any mission in the fine tradition of the National Guard. However, the Global War on Terrorism is projected to last several years. Feedback from the Soldiers, their families, and their employers is consistent: they simply wish to know when they are needed and for how long. Soldiers are asking for predictability. When possible, mobilizations and deployments should be forecasted in advance, potentially years ahead of a unit’s deployment. The Army National Guard is working towards instituting a Predictable Deployment Cycle that will provide units a forecast on overseas deployments. This predictable cycle looks at using a unit only one time in a six-year period. This is a benchmark. While the National Guard stands ready for any mission at any time, this concept will help alleviate the magnitude of the unknown.
Home Station Mobilization
Home Station Mobilization is a National Guard initiative that empowers the Joint Force Headquarters, State, with greater responsibilities for the mobilization of units deploying to war. The Joint Force Headquarters, State, assume responsibility for all mobilization processing activities that are currently done at active duty installations. This expedites the mobilization of the National Guard and their employment into theaters of operation. Improved efficiencies in mobilization allow the Army to maximize the operational capability of the force. Three units successfully conducted Home Station Mobilization and demobilization in fiscal year 2003.
Strategic Readiness System
The Army National Guard implemented the Strategic Readiness System in 2003 to more accurately capture unit readiness. This is an integrated strategic management and measurement system that ensures that all levels of the Army recognize and align their operations to the vision, objectives, and initiatives of the Army Plan. It measures each element’s success in achieving these goals. The Strategic Readiness System has assisted Army transformation by changing the way the Army National Guard approaches and reports readiness data.
Personnel and Human Resources
Continuing Army National Guard participation in the Department of Defense Personnel Transformation includes immediate movement towards the implementation of the Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System during 2005-2006. This human resource system aligns the Army National Guard with a Defense vision and goal of a Joint Service integrated personnel and pay system. It will provide support throughout the life cycle of a service member’s career. Development and implementation are proceeding under the direction of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in coordination with all services and components. This human resource system will streamline the Guardsman transition from a non-federal to federal active duty status.
The Army National Guard’s Permanent Electronic Records Management System is a web-based system utilizing digital imagery to store and retrieve personnel records. Its importance lies in its seamless records management capability throughout the Army, enhancing both mobilization and personnel readiness.
By consolidating the administrative operation of human resources in one place, the Permanent Electronic Records Management System allows personnel records to follow a Soldier regardless of component. Army National Guard enlisted records, currently in hard copy, will be converted to an electronic form in fiscal years 2004 and 2005. It will also adopt an Automated Selection Board System to support and improve the process under which information and votes regarding personnel actions are processed by military personnel boards.
Moving from a paper system to a digital system is a time-consuming process. However, once the Automated Selection Board System is adopted, it will save the Army National Guard more than $150,000 per year in microfiche production and postage costs. This system is essential to achieve and fully support Personnel Transformation and programmed for fielding in fiscal year 2005.
Conclusion
The Army National Guard remains a unique capability with its State and Federal mission. As a community-based force, we are entrusted with the responsibility to protect our citizens’ liberties and our nation’s freedoms. Army National Guardsmen have a warrior’s ethos and a loyalty to respond to any Governor or Presidential call to duty.
Our Soldiers have been called upon more than ever to provide security to our nation. We are a ready and relevant force, but we will continue to raise our readiness level to C1, the highest level. We are committed to obtain the necessary resources in the areas of modernization, training, and equipping. Our Soldiers will not reach their fullest potential readiness with outdated equipment, limited health care, and unpredictable deployment cycles. In all areas, however, we remain dedicated to using our resources efficiently and prudently.
The Army National Guard continues its transformation into a leaner, more agile and ready force. As the Army National Guard continues to operate in concert with the U.S. Army, it will fight wars and ensure the safety and well-being of the American people.
