Letter to the Leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, Re: National Guard Seat on Joint Chiefs of Staff
Letter
Letter to Leaders of the Senate and the House Armed Services Committees, Re: National Guard Seat on Joint Chiefs of Staff
Harkin, Braley Lead Iowa Delegation Letter Asking for National Guard Seat on Joint Chiefs of Staff
Bipartisan Letter Sent to Defense Secretary Gates, House and Senate Leaders
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-1) today led an Iowa delegation letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee and Defense Secretary Robert Gates asking for the Chief of the National Guard Bureau be given full membership on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"While the roles and responsibilities of our National Guard have been elevated, their status in the decision-making process has not followed suit," said Harkin. "There is a serious disconnect between the National Guard and the Department of Defense, a disconnect that impacts Iowa troops and their families. That must change. The brave men and women of our National Guard deserve a voice in the decisions and policies made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff - they deserve a seat at the table."
"The National Guard is a critical component of our military, serving at unprecedented levels at home and abroad," Braley said. "As we increasingly rely on the National Guard to serve as an operational force, the voices of the men and women in the National Guard deserve to be heard at the Department of Defense. Giving the National Guard a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff will improve communication and coordination between the Guard and the Pentagon, and would help prevent errors like the one that occurred with nearly 600 members of the Iowa National Guard's 1-133rd were denied GI Bill educational benefits."
Senator Grassley and Representatives Latham, Boswell and Loebsack joined Harkin and Braley in signing the letter. The letter was sent to the Chairman and Ranking Member of House and Senate Armed Services Committees. These committees are responsible for drafting the annual defense authorization bill, which establishes policies for the United States military.
The letter praised the action taken in the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Authorization Bill to strengthen the National Guard Bureau, and encouraged the Armed Services Committees to continue these actions through establishing a National Guard seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The text of the letter is as follows:
April 17, 2008
The Honorable Ike Skelton
Chairman
House Armed Services Committee
2120 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Carl Levin
Chairman
Senate Armed Services Committee
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Duncan Hunter
Ranking Member
House Armed Services Committee
2340 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable John McCain
Ranking Member
Senate Armed Services Committee
228 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Skelton, Chairman Levin, Ranking Member Hunter, and Ranking Member McCain,
We are writing to thank you for your leadership on the Armed Services Committees, and to urge you to continue your efforts to ensure that the National Guard has the equipment, support services, and power within the Department of Defense (DOD) necessary to adequately protect and provide for National Guard troops and families.
As you well know, the National Guard is serving our country at an unprecedented level. Lengthy and multiple deployments are placing great strains on National Guard troops and families, as well as on National Guard equipment and readiness levels.
As the role of the National Guard has shifted from strategic reserve to operational force, we are concerned that Pentagon policies and culture have not shifted accordingly. Unfortunately, while National Guard soldiers are increasingly being utilized along with active duty forces, we have seen the Pentagon often make decisions that directly impact the National Guard without properly consulting the National Guard or incorporating their requests.
The experience of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry of the Iowa National Guard is a good example of the continuing disconnect between the DOD and the National Guard, and of the need for reform. This Battalion was deployed to Iraq in the spring of 2006 and was originally scheduled to return home in April 2007, but had their tour of duty extended as part of last year's troop surge. When the Pentagon lengthened their tour of duty, they learned of this extension through the media and family members, instead of through the proper chain of command. This improper notification caused much unneeded stress and anxiety for them and their families.
Then, when the Battalion returned home in July 2007, after serving the longest continuous deployment of any ground combat unit in Iraq, they learned that many of them did not qualify for full Montgomery GI Bill benefits because the Pentagon had written their orders several days short of the 730 day requirement. While we are pleased that this problem has now been fixed through the Army Board for the Correction of Military records, this mistake also caused much anxiety for Iowa National Guard troops, and caused much unnecessary hassle for Iowa National Guard leadership.
Currently, members of this Battalion, along with National Guard soldiers from other units, are still waiting to receive the Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence benefit that they are owed from the DOD. It has been over six months now since the last affected Iowa National Guard unit returned home from Iraq, and the Pentagon has still not made a decision about how to pay these troops for this benefit that they are owed. Furthermore, there are indications that the Pentagon is likely to ignore requests from the National Guard that troops be paid a lump sum, and instead require the National Guard to bring troops back onto active duty and give them days off. We are troubled by this, because we have heard concerns from the National Guard that days of paid leave will be less beneficial to troops than a one-time payment, and that bringing troops back onto active duty will be an administrative burden for National Guard leadership and will be disruptive for demobilized troops.
We are pleased that Congress recently acted, through H.R. 4986, the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, to augment the power of the National Guard by elevating the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to a 4-Star General, enhancing the duties of the Chief of the Guard Bureau, and making the Guard Bureau a joint activity of the DOD. We are also pleased that this bill includes the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, to help ensure that National Guard and Reserve troops receive the treatment, care, and support they need and deserve when they return home. We hope these provisions will prevent other National Guard troops from experiencing problems similar to those faced by the 1-133rd, and will help ensure that the National Guard leadership has the influence and support in the Pentagon that they need.
We believe we must ensure, however, that the DOD implements these important reforms in a timely manner. That is why we request that you and the Armed Services Committees exercise the appropriate oversight to ensure that these reforms are properly and promptly implemented by the DOD.
We also believe that we must build on the progress made in the 2008 NDAA, and continue to work to enhance the power of the National Guard, and expand and enhance programs that benefit National Guard troops and families. As you craft the Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act, we specifically request that you work to enhance the functions of the National Guard Bureau and work to make the Chief of the National Guard Bureau a full member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Giving the Chief of the Guard Bureau a seat at the table would help ensure that Pentagon policies, initiatives, and decisions meet the needs of National Guard troops and families, and that the National Guard has the equipment, resources, and support that they need to perform their required domestic and overseas missions.
Thank you again for your leadership, and for your attention to our concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, or if we can be of any assistance to you on these issues.
Sincerely,
Senator Tom Harkin, Representative Bruce Braley, Senator Chuck Grassley, Representative Tom Latham, Representative Leonard Boswell and Representative Dave Loebsack.
Cc: The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
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