Says He Will 'Not Stand By' as Army Works on Plan Without Consulting States
HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Governor Edward G.
Rendell today urged U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to put aside the
Army's plans to cut up to 24,000 National Guard soldiers nationwide.
"I will not stand by and let needed resources be cut from the Pennsylvania
National Guard, and I daresay my fellow governors will have the same
reaction," the Governor said in a letter to the secretary. "I ask you to join
me, my fellow governors and the Nation's adjutants general in putting aside
this ill-conceived proposal to cut the National Guard.
"Major changes to National Guard units require careful coordination with
the states and the consent of the governors."
Last year, Governor Rendell and Pennsylvania U.S. Senators Arlen Specter
and Rick Santorum joined together in a lawsuit that resulted in the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District affirming their argument. The court
ruled that the Department of Defense's attempt to deactivate the 111th Fighter
Wing of the PA Air National Guard was "null and void" without the Governor's
approval.
Under the Army's latest plan, one active duty and six National Guard
brigades, primarily heavy (armor or mechanized), would be eliminated.
Pennsylvania is home to two of the nation's 10 heavy brigades. The 28th
Infantry Division, also known as the "Keystone Division," includes brigades
that have fought in Iraq, helped Gulf Coast residents recover from Hurricane
Katrina and were first to respond after the 9/11 attacks.
"These soldiers have answered the call and stood up for their nation and
their commonwealth at great personal sacrifice," Governor Rendell said. "The
President sends these soldiers off to war, requires them to leave some of
their valuable equipment behind when they redeploy, and now the Army is
planning to tell them we don't need them anymore.
"Just as these soldiers have answered the call to service, so I am calling
on you to reconsider these unwise cuts targeting the National Guard."
Pennsylvania's Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, said the
proposal is ill-timed.
"It will have serious adverse consequences for military and emergency
preparedness in this commonwealth," Wright said. "I don't believe any state
or any governor or any adjutant general will stand idly by and watch the
Guard's force structure erode without protest."
The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public
education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing
economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out
more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly
newsletter, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A copy of the Governor's letter to Secretary Rumsfeld is
attached.
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
HARRISBURG
THE GOVERNOR January 20, 2006
The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
Dear Secretary Rumsfeld:
Army Secretary Francis Harvey announced Wednesday substantial cuts in Army
National Guard forces nationwide. Six combat brigades are reported to be
targets for these reductions. I strongly urge that DoD reconsider and take no
action to reduce this valuable resource that has so admirably served our
nation at home and aboard.
Targeting the Army National Guard for cuts of 24,000 soldiers nationwide
is extremely shortsighted. At a time when our nation and our states rely on
the National Guard like never before to fight the global war on terrorism
abroad and to respond to natural disasters at home, we need to maintain the
Guard's force structure. The security of our homeland and the effectiveness
of the Armed Forces depend on the National Guard. What's more, as you know,
the National Guard is one of the very few bargains in national defense. A
well-trained and well-equipped National Guard brigade costs much less to
maintain than a comparably sized unit of the active forces. Nationwide, the
National Guard costs less than 5% of the defense budget.
As Governor and commander in chief of the Pennsylvania National Guard, I
am tremendously proud of the accomplishments, the courage and the sacrifice of
the men and women who serve their state and nation in our National Guard.
Pennsylvania is home to the 28th Infantry Division (Mechanized). The
"Keystone Division" includes three ground combat brigades, an aviation combat
brigade, combat engineers and other units. The 56th Stryker Brigade was the
only National Guard brigade in America to be chosen for transformation to a
Stryker brigade. Nearly the entire brigade, more than 2,500 strong, deployed
to Louisiana on very short notice in the wake of the devastation caused by
Hurricane Katrina. Our 2nd Brigade Combat Team is currently serving in Iraq,
and its soldiers have borne the brunt of many vicious attacks. Earlier this
week, we buried the first Pennsylvania National Guard commissioned officer
killed in combat since WWII. He is one of 23 Pennsylvania National Guard
soldiers who have been killed in action in Iraq. Our 55th Brigade Combat team
recently led Taskforce Keystone in deploying to Europe in the wake of 9/11.
Our aviation brigade has deployed around the world and here at home.
I could go on and on about the Keystone Division and its combat brigades,
but my point is simple - we need these troops. These soldiers have answered
the call and stood up for their nation and their commonwealth at great
personal sacrifice. The President sends these soldiers off to war, requires
them to leave some of their valuable equipment behind when they redeploy, and
now the Army is planning to tell them we don't need them anymore. Just as
these soldiers have answered the call to service, so I am calling on you to
reconsider these unwise cuts targeting the National Guard.
The National Guard is the only military force shared by the states and the
federal government, and it continues to stand ready to respond to a wide
variety of homeland security and disaster preparedness contingencies. Major
changes to National Guard units require careful coordination with the states
and the consent of the governors. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern
District of Pennsylvania recently affirmed this in declaring that an attempt
to deactivate a Pennsylvania Air National Guard unit was "null and void"
without my approval as Governor. I'm frankly astounded that DoD has
apparently embarked on an effort of this magnitude without even making an
effort at coordination with the states. I will not stand by and let needed
resources be cut from the Pennsylvania National Guard, and I daresay my fellow
governors will have the same reaction.
Secretary Rumsfeld, I ask you to join me, my fellow governors and the
Nation's adjutants general in putting aside this ill-conceived proposal to cut
the National Guard. I look forward to working with you and the leaders of our
Congress to do what's right for our national defense so we can maintain the
force structure and troop strength of our National Guard.
Sincerely,
Edward G. Rendell
Governor
cc: Ray Scheppach, Executive Director, National Governors Association
Brig. Gen. Stephen M. Koper, President, National Guard Association of
the United States
Maj. Gen. Roger Lempke, President, Adjutants General Association of
the United States
Senator Arlen Specter
Senator Rick Santorum
The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld
Congressman Curt Weldon
Congressman John Murtha
Senator Don White, Chairman, Senate Veterans' Affairs and
Emergency Preparedness Committee
Senator Wayne Fontana, Minority Chairman, Senate Veterans' Affairs and
Emergency Preparedness Committee
Representative Paul Semmel, Chairman, House Veterans' Affairs and
Emergency Preparedness Committee
Representative Tom Tigue, Minority Chairman, House Veterans' Affairs
and Emergency Preparedness Committee
Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, The Adjutant General
CONTACT: Kate Philips, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor,
+1-717-783-1116
SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
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Related links:
http://www.state.pa.us
http://www.governor.state.pa.us
CONTACT:
Kate Philips, Pennsylvania Office of the
Governor, +1-717-783-1116
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