|
 Given
the uncertain nature of the world today, the National Guard motto
“Always Ready, Always There” is even more important than in the
past, Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel (left) told the Senate
Defense Appropriations Subcommittee this morning.
Lengyel,
the chief of the National Guard Bureau and a member of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, said the guard is evolving quickly to meet the
challenges posed by state actors, terror groups and natural or
man-made disasters.
“The National Guard is more resilient,
relevant and ready than ever before,” he said.
More Than a Reserve Force
The guard is no longer simply a reserve force. Rather, it is a force
that combatant commanders depend on to accomplish their missions.
“Our security environment is more dynamic and complex and our nation
places greater reliance on its National Guard,” the general said in
prepared remarks.
“This is why my focus every day is to
ensure we are ready and we have the resources to accomplish our
three core missions -- fighting America’s wars, securing the
homeland and building enduring partnerships at the local, state,
federal and international levels,” Lengyel said.
The attacks
of 9/11 transformed the National Guard, he said. “Since then, guard
members have deployed more than 850,000 times to locations such as
Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, the Balkans, Guantanamo Bay and the
Sinai,” the general said. “On any given day, the National Guard has
approximately 18,000 soldiers and airmen mobilized in support of
combatant command missions overseas.”
Guard members fold
seamlessly into the joint force when called upon, Lengyel said. “Our
interoperability with the joint force will deepen and evolve as we
confront future threats -- threats that are now global, emanate from
all domains, and are adaptable and multi-functional in their forms,”
he said. “Only a well-integrated and well-trained force will keep
our nation safe and secure our national interests.”
 Homeland Defense
Guardsmen
are also integral to homeland defense, he said. They train
constantly to respond to natural or manmade disasters, the general
said. The guard plays a part in defending against cyber assaults and
chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks.
The
guard often provides the logistic support and communications to tie
operations together and to get people and supplies where they are
urgently needed, he said. On average, more than 4,000 guard members
conduct operations here in the United States on any given day,
Lengyel said.
In today’s interconnected world, guardsmen must
develop contacts and partnerships within the military, within the
local, state and federal government and within the international
community, the general said. He cited the Guard’s State Partnership
Program which pairs guard units in various states with units in
nations around the world. The program now has 79 partners.
“The SPP allows us to partner with nations around the globe to
realize mutual understanding, friendship and security cooperation,”
he said. “This low-cost, high-leverage program has built enduring
partnerships and bonds of trust with approximately one-third of the
nations in the world -- relationships that assure our allies, deter
our foes, and support the transition of many nations from security
consumers to global security providers.”
Lengyel said he is
as concerned about readiness as other members of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff. “Readiness begins with our force structure,” the general
said. “I am working with the Army and Air Force to have a balanced
array of combat and enabling forces that largely mirrors the active
component and is modernized concurrently. We must prepare by
providing high-level collective training opportunities such as
Combat Training Center rotations and Red Flag exercises. Realistic
training improves the readiness of the National Guard and develops
leaders that are able to support joint force requirements.”
By Jim Garamone
DOD News
Copyright 2017
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