It’s been a tough year for Kansas. We started the year with a massive blizzard, which is shaping up to be the costliest disaster in state history. That was followed by the total destruction of the town of Greensburg by a tornado, and then a series of floods throughout many areas of the state.

Fortunately in each instance, the people of Kansas have been able to turn to our National Guard for help. The men and women of the Guard responded instantly, coming to the rescue, supporting other responders with unique capabilities and ultimately helping to save lives.

Unfortunately, the Guard’s ability to respond to disasters is being threatened, and not just in Kansas. Equipment shortages and repeated overseas deployments are taking their toll. In spite of their tremendous tenacity to get the job done no matter the situation, the Guard’s ability to quickly respond to domestic emergencies and prepare for war is being stretched dangerously thin.

To adequately fulfill both its wartime and domestic response missions, the National Guard has traditionally received adequate financial support, proper training, necessary equipment and strong federal advocacy. However, at a time when the National Guard is being called upon more and more, that once-strong federal support is nowhere to be found.

Our citizen soldiers need resolute, independent advocates. As commanders-in-chief of the National Guard, the nation’s governors have effectively, but informally, been doing just this. But governors want and deserve direct input, and given the seriousness of the current situation, this advocacy role must become official.

That’s why Congress should formalize this process by establishing an advisory group of governors to serve as advocates for the Guard. This group would be selected by the National Governors Association, taking into consideration party and geographical balance, as well as seeking to include governors of states that had been seriously impacted by disasters in the recent past.

As commanders-in-chief, governors have a unique responsibility to advocate for the equipment and training their Guard personnel need to do the jobs they have volunteered to do. Each of the military branches have an advocate, and as long as the National Guard is being used as part of the strategic force overseas and a first responder for natural disasters and any attack at home, they need a voice.

Creating a group of governors to advocate for the Guard would ensure the President, Congress and the Department of Defense are aware of National Guard readiness and equipment issues, and how they affect the nation’s governors’ ability to respond to these natural and manmade disasters.

This advisory group would be perfectly suited to make sure that Washington officials understand the resource, training and equipment needs of the Guard. They’d be able to tell Congress and the American people about the challenges faced by the National Guard and what we as a nation need to do to ensure these men and women have the backing they need to defend our country and respond when we need them.

If that fails to happen, if we as a nation continue to take our National Guard for granted, then one day when disaster strikes our calls for their help will go unanswered.

The cost then will likely not be measured in just dollars, but also in lives.

This entry was posted on 8.27.2007 at 2:53 am and is filed under National Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response.