How ready is your state's National Guard?

June 14, 2007
How ready is your state's National Guard?

Correspondents from across the USA spoke with governors, National Guard commanders and public affairs officers to determine each unit's equipment and preparedness levels for dealing with national disasters. The highlighted percentages listed are the estimated percentage of domestic equipment available to the National Guard in that state, provided by those sources. In some cases, no estimate of the percentage of available equipment was provided. Some sources cited security reasons, others were not certain enough of their inventory to provide a number. Shortages vary by unit, 1A, 7A. (N/A means percentage not available.)

Guardsmen train with wrong equipment

May 29, 2007

Guardsmen train with wrong equipment

For example, Wayt said some Army Guard troops will begin three weeks of training starting June 9 using standard-issue M-16 rifles when they would be using shorter, lighter M-4 rifles in the field.

The soldiers also can't train with the type of night-vision goggles or armored vehicles they would use in combat, the Guard said.

May 12, 2007
Gen. Montano: Iraq Straining National Guard

WASHINGTON -- The National Guard isn't as strong as it should be because of the war in Iraq and American communities will suffer as a result, retired Air Force Gen. Melvyn Montano said Saturday.

Delivering the Democrats' weekly radio address, Montano said the strain means it will take longer for Greensburg, Kan., to recover from a devastating tornado that leveled the town a week ago.

"Crucial equipment used by the Guard for disaster relief is now in Iraq instead of standing ready to respond to crises here at home," said Montano, who was once adjutant general of the New Mexico National Guard.

Governors worry about depleted National Guard

May 13, 2007
Governors worry about depleted National Guard

TAMPA, Fla. — With repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan leaving state National Guards without nearly half of their required equipment, some governors are loudly questioning whether they will be able to handle the next hurricane, wildfire or terrorist attack at home.

"We are not going to be able to continue to rely on the National Guard as a full-time operational force," North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley said.

Easley said his state has about half the equipment it needs and could probably respond adequately to a hurricane, but "a pandemic or something like that may be a different question."