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Military Examines Role In Domestic Defense
AP ^ | 25 Nov 2008 | AP

Posted on 11/26/2008 6:08:12 PM PST by BGHater

Citizen Soldiers May Need More Training On Homeland Operations, Defense Secretary Says

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday ordered his top department leaders to conduct a broad review to determine whether the military, National Guard and Reserve can adequately deal with domestic disasters and whether they have the training and equipment to defend the homeland.

The 41-page memo signaled an acknowledgment that the military must better recognize the critical role of the National Guard and Reserves in homeland defense, but stopped short of requiring many specific policy changes.

His memo comes in the wake of a stinging 400-page independent commission report that concluded the military isn't ready for a catastrophic attack on the country, and that National Guard forces don't have the equipment or training they need for the job.

That report, released early this year by the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, said the Pentagon must use the nation's citizen soldiers to create an operational force that would be fully trained, equipped and ready to defend the nation, respond to crises and supplement the active duty troops in combat.

In response, Gates said that indeed the Guard and Reserves are an integral part of the force and have assumed a greater role in military operations. And he pressed his top leaders to review the training that active duty and reserve troops receive for homeland defense and civil support missions, as opposed to the warfighting now consuming them.

He gave them 25 days to submit their proposed changes, along with any budget impact they might have, in connection with 53 separate recommendations. He said another 29 recommendations are under way or finished.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: bobgates; defense; military; nationalguard; secdef; usmilitary; wot
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1 posted on 11/26/2008 6:08:12 PM PST by BGHater
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To: BGHater

Why?


2 posted on 11/26/2008 6:17:44 PM PST by DownInFlames (C)
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: BGHater

Would it pay to start relocating some NG and Reserve units such as NBC and civil units to less vulnerable ares of the nation.

Haven’t the feds been moving many of their buildings to areas uo to 70 miles from their previous locations in Washington DC?


4 posted on 11/26/2008 6:20:51 PM PST by ansel12 ( When a conservative pundit mocks Wasilla, he's mocking conservatism as it's actually lived.)
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To: BGHater

I thought that Obamessiah’s brownshirt “Security Force” was going to handle the domestic thing.


5 posted on 11/26/2008 6:21:29 PM PST by SIDENET (Hubba Hubba...)
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To: BGHater

So riddle me this, what Army is going to show up off the shore of the USA that needs to be taken down? The China-men going to swim the Pacific? The Mexicans have already invaded ...

Show me the army, the threat ... I’m listening.

At least I have no worries about my library card.


6 posted on 11/26/2008 6:30:53 PM PST by Tarpon (America's first principles, freedom, liberty, market economy and self-reliance will never fail.)
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To: ansel12
Not really. They are moving, lots of units from Crystal city down to Ft. Belvior. Not very far.
7 posted on 11/26/2008 6:32:42 PM PST by BGHater (The GOP, the new DNC.)
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To: BGHater

martial law?

http://gunnyg.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/fema-sources-confirm-coming-martial-law-says-wayne-madsen/

beware of the red dot!
http://gunnyg.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/beware-of-the-red-dot-by-alan-stang/


8 posted on 11/26/2008 6:39:01 PM PST by gunnyg
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To: Tarpon
what Army is going to show up off the shore of the USA that needs to be taken down?

Ummmm - NONE. Because our Los Angeles class submarines would take them ALL out in about 30 seconds. The ones that actually made it here would just be an afternoon's redneck target practice.

9 posted on 11/26/2008 6:45:52 PM PST by Hardastarboard (0bama IS a socialist - I don't care what the elite media poofters say.)
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To: SIDENET
I thought that Obamessiah’s brownshirt “Security Force” was going to handle the domestic thing.

Sounds to me like SecDef Gates has received instructions from the Office of the President Elect to investigate how a military Brown Shirt force could be set up.

10 posted on 11/26/2008 6:49:41 PM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: Hardastarboard

Now we have a debate, two sparring partners ... But the problem is you are exactly right, there is no army, no nation that is a threat to America. Ergo, no debate.

Nor is there any natural disaster that is too big for Americans to handle. Katrina proved that point, dumb people, mostly gubbermint people, caused most of the problem in the first place.

So what the hell is going on???


11 posted on 11/26/2008 6:50:18 PM PST by Tarpon (America's first principles, freedom, liberty, market economy and self-reliance will never fail.)
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To: DownInFlames
Why?.....Waco...or any other kind of (lawful) opposition?
12 posted on 11/26/2008 6:52:20 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (just b/c you're paranoid, doesn't mean "they" aren't out to get you.. :^)
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To: skinkinthegrass

It’s quite possible that the U.S. government is aware of internal al Qaeda terror operations about to take shape ... That’s all I can come up with.

But that’s is what the citizen militia is all about ...


13 posted on 11/26/2008 6:55:18 PM PST by Tarpon (America's first principles, freedom, liberty, market economy and self-reliance will never fail.)
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To: DownInFlames

pandemic


14 posted on 11/26/2008 6:55:36 PM PST by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: BGHater

I thought that we had a thread on FR about the feds spreading out newer buildings to areas farther away from DC.


15 posted on 11/26/2008 7:01:28 PM PST by ansel12 ( When a conservative pundit mocks Wasilla, he's mocking conservatism as it's actually lived.)
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To: Hardastarboard

Done right, a country like China could have 100,000+ troops stepping off container ships with heavy weapons without us knowing it. Granted, the secrecy aspect would be daunting, but they could probably infiltrate the majority of an initial force in civilian garb over a period of time and and have the heavy stuff show up later. When the “surprise” was broached, major navy units could be tied up at the time by incidents in the ME.

They wouldn’t even necessarily have to have any objective here, merely to tie up ports and west coast military facilities while the real target is Taiwan with the US contingent being essentially a suicide mission...


16 posted on 11/26/2008 7:05:41 PM PST by Axenolith (Government blows and that which governs least blows least...)
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To: Tarpon
But that’s is what the citizen militia is all about ......Hmm, If we didn't have Modern (Marxist/Communist) Liberals, We wouldn't have to worry about such problems...but, that ended in 1965 (LBJ & in many cases Nixon)....
17 posted on 11/26/2008 7:08:24 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (just b/c you're paranoid, doesn't mean "they" aren't out to get you.. :^)
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To: Axenolith
merely to tie up ports and west coast military facilities while the real target is Taiwan with the US contingent being essentially a suicide mission...
w/ "Red Messiah" Obambi, as pres...."OH! So sorry, Will suffice" nicely.
18 posted on 11/26/2008 7:13:21 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (just b/c you're paranoid, doesn't mean "they" aren't out to get you.. :^)
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To: Axenolith
No need to worry about this:

With all eyes on Obama, Port of Los Angeles security under control of Chinese President’s son!

19 posted on 11/26/2008 7:14:34 PM PST by BGHater (The GOP, the new DNC.)
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To: Tarpon
Show me the army, the threat ... I’m listening.

Maybe they're afraid of an armed citizenry. That tells me we should buy more guns and ammo.

20 posted on 11/26/2008 8:17:27 PM PST by Mogollon (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God. -- Thomas Jefferson)
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