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PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES In January 2012 the Department published a paper -- “Defense Budget Priorities and Choices” – identifying the major budgetary changes made in response to the new defense strategy. Changes in the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget support U.S. defense strategy and are organized around four major themes: 1. Making more disciplined use of defense dollars. 2. Applying strategic guidance to force structure and investment. 3. Ensuring the quality of the all-volunteer force. 4. Fully supporting deployed warfighters. Disciplined Use of Defense Dollars The FY 2013 budget continues the reform agenda advanced in the Department’s previous three budgets. The FY...

Dozens of Wisconsin National Guard soldiers are still waiting for thousands of dollars owed to them for their service in Iraq. The delay is due to bureaucratic glitches and clerical errors, the Oshkosh Northwestern reported ( http://oshko.sh/xfjOx5). The soldiers, members of the Wisconsin National Guard 1157th Transportation Co., spent much of 2006 and 2007 in Iraq. When they came home they were due extra pay or days of leave for serving multiple deployments, but some never received what was owed to them because of errors in the way the Army computed and paid the benefits. "It's frustrating," said Richard Vander...

(CNN) -- A Louisiana lawmaker wants the National Guard to patrol the streets of New Orleans after a toddler who was four days shy of her second birthday was shot and killed in a drive-by. "She was out here as a innocent bystander. She's dead now," said Rufus Ruck, the child's cousin. Keira Holmes Gordon was gunned down in a double shooting at the B. W. Cooper Housing development on Sunday. She was one of two people hit when gunmen from two separate cars opened fire on a man who was standing nearby. According to police, the man ran into...

Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on Obama Administration’s Decision to Slash Number of National Guard troops at U.S.-Mexico Border Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement regarding the Obama Administration's decision to cut the number of National Guard troops at the U.S.-Mexico border: "President Obama's decision to slash the number of National Guard troops patrolling and securing our southern border is proof that this administration has no intention to truly secure the border or listen to the American citizens, communities and law enforcement who care about border security and public safety. "After spending billions on failed federal stimulus and...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — A snafu marred the critical moment of silence Wednesday at the Pearl Harbor ceremony observing the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack.... ...But on Wednesday, emcee Leslie Wilcox was still speaking at 7:55 a.m., even as the Hawaii Air National Guard's F-22's roared overhead on schedule 42 seconds later.

HIDALGO, TEX. — President Obama’s decision last year to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border may have been smart politics, but a growing number of skeptics say the deployment is an expensive and inefficient mission that has made little difference in homeland security. Critics of the deployment include budget hawks, who say it is a waste of money, and residents here along the border, who say they are tired of seeing armed troops in their back yard. State Department officials worry that the domestic use of U.S. troops increases the perception that the border is militarized, while...

Who doesn’t love Predator? Two juiced up governors-to-be on screen simultaneously throwing lead at a common enemy and taking out bad guys. Its a typical late-80s action film, but the reason that it always stuck in my mind was Governor Ventura’s handheld M134 minigun. Nevermind that (if real) the weapon would only have enough ammunition for less than 5 seconds of firing, I thought it was a great concept. Apparently an Iowa National Guard unit (1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa National Guard) thought so too, and that’s why they built one. Well,...

When Eduardo Sancion chose the location for his shooting spree in Carson City, Nevada Tuesday he picked a a street home to at least seven military installations and recruitment centers. Just over a mile away on South Carson Street is the Army National Guard, another mile north is the Nevada Army national Guard depot. Scattered throughout the stripmalls and businesses on Carson St. are recruiters for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Sancion pulled up to to the IHOP known to be popular among servicemembers in a blue minivan with a "Support Our Troops" bumper sticker on the back,...

click article link to read storyA member of an anti-gay church that pickets at military funerals said via Twitter that church members will come to Carson City in the wake of the shooting deaths of three Nevada National Guard soldiershttp://www.rgj.com/article/20110907/NEWS/110907005/Anti-gay-church-hints-will-protest-funerals-slain-guardsmen-Carson-IHOP-shooting?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

Heavy machinery might become a common sight in some Harlingen neighborhoods. The Texas National Guard is demolishing some 42 homes and buildings as part of “Operation Crackdown.” Authorities are demolishing the condemned properties that have become “crack houses” or havens for criminal activity. Harlingen city officials have compiled a list of 42 homes and buildings for demolishing. The structures are being demolished at no cost to the owners.

Two New Mexico national guardsmen have died, and three others are injured, following a crash on Interstate 40 near Gallup. Police say the crash happened just after 8 a.m. Saturday after the guardsmen left a nearby Denny’s restaurant in a four-door pickup truck. Investigators believe the truck was headed westbound on I-40 when the driver crossed the median, over-corrected and flipped the vehicle about four times. The truck clipped a light post, ejecting two people. Investigators say excessive speed appears to been a factor in the crash. They are still determining if alcohol or fatigue played a role. Police say...

Federal lawsuit in Jackson, MS accuses Madison County Sheriff's office of discriminating against National Guard soldiers. Secret tape of conversation between deputy and Chief Deputy shows CD admitting he refused to hire his friend because of his military status. Post includes copies of federal lawsuit, audio recording, and transcript of recording.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Thomas Walsh, aide to Mayor Domenic Sarno told 22News that the City of Springfield has requested that the National Guard come to the city, where there has been damage from a tornado. Walsh said that all motorists are advised to stay at home and not venture out onto the roads, in order to give emergency workers time to get to where they need to go. Walsh said that the National Guard is on its way. The State Police Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) has been called in to help search damaged buildings for the possibility that...

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 28, 2011) — With the twisted husk of St. John’s Hospital reminding them of the importance of their mission, a group of Missouri National Guardsmen erected a mobile hospital unit in a fraction of the time they were given. Because they were conducting annual training nearby, soldiers of the 117th Engineer Team (Asphalt), of Monett, were on duty conducting search and rescue missions within hours of the tornado hitting Joplin, said Sgt 1st Class Steve White. “We’re here to help relieve the pain,” White said. “We bring a lot of heavy equipment and can get to things...

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 27, 2011) — Gov. Jay Nixon has ordered the Missouri National Guard to supervise the cleanup and debris removal process in Joplin. Citizen-soldiers and airmen were activated immediately following the May 22 tornado and are ready for their new mission, said Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general of Missouri. “We are ready for the new mission Gov. Nixon has given us and are prepared to help our friends and family in Joplin in every way we can,” Danner said.

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 27, 2011) — A year ago, the 203rd Engineer Battalion of the Missouri Army National Guard woke up every day in a war zone. That changed Sunday when one of the season’s deadliest tornados blew through this southwest Missouri community of 46,000, leaving behind a path of devastation worse than most of these combat engineers experienced in Afghanistan. Charged with clearing improvised explosive devices from hundreds of kilometers of bumpy, dusty — and dangerous — roads in the war-torn country’s restive east, members of the 203rd served their nation doing one of the hardest jobs in theater....

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 26, 2011) — Some people would call him a hero, but to hear Spc. Jeffrey Price tell it, he was just doing his job. Price, a heavy equipment operator for the Carthage-based 294th Engineer Company of the Missouri Army National Guard, helped rescue dozens of people following Sunday’s deadly storm that left hundreds dead, hundreds more injured and much of this city of about 50,000 people in ruins. Price, 22, was on duty at his job in the automotive department at a local Wal-Mart SuperCenter Sunday as the deadly tornado that flattened area homes, destroyed businesses and...

CARTHAGE, Mo. (May 24, 2011) – The Missouri National Guard continues to work in support of tornado relief operations in Joplin on order from Gov. Jay Nixon. With continued rainfall, the Missouri National Guard task force continues operations in Joplin with approximately 220 Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen spread over the affected areas, said task force operations officer Maj. Michael Seek, training and plans officer with the 35th Engineer Brigade. “At this point, our concern is the safety of the citizens of Joplin,” Seek said. “This is an important mission. Our goal is to help support the local first responders as they...

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 23, 2011) — A Sunday night tornado striking Joplin has led to the mobilization of the Missouri National Guard. St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, two fire stations, and Joplin High School were among the public buildings damaged or destroyed by the tornado, along with commercial business areas. Casualty totals are still unknown but preliminary reports include 89 dead. “As soon as we heard the news of the tornados, the Missouri National Guard began mobilization activities,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, in a prepared statement. “The 35th Engineer...

CARTHAGE, Mo. (May 23, 2011) – Immediately after being activated by Gov. Jay Nixon, the Missouri National Guard began tornado relief operations in Joplin. Approximately 140 Guardsmen are assisting in search and rescue missions in support of local authorities, and are expected to conduct a number of missions in the upcoming days including emergency route clearance, communications support, door-to-door safety visits and security. Among those responding are the soldiers of the 117th Engineer Team, of Monett, and 294th Engineer Company, of Carthage and Anderson. Additionally, a Joint Task Force Communications Kit out of Jefferson City is in route to assist...

PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (May 23, 2011) — When a New Years’ Eve tornado struck Fort Leonard Wood, donations poured in to help numerous soldiers and families who lost their homes even though nobody was killed. Less than a day after a major tornado struck Joplin and killed at least 89 people, Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner Gene Newkirk, Pulaski County Sheriff J.B. King and Pulaski County Ambulance Director Gary Carmack announced that they’re working to send emergency supplies as well as trained personnel to provide emergency relief in Joplin.

PHOENIX | Before there was Scott Walker, Rick Scott, Nathan Dealor Nikki Haley, there was Arizona’s Jan Brewer — the original Republican protest governor, going toe-to-toe with the Obama administration over immigration, fighting the White House in the courtroom and becoming an early symbol of states’ frustration with the White House. Now five months into her first elected term, Arizona’s top politician is once again challenging President Obama. This time, she is asking him not only to keep the National Guard on the border past its scheduled departure in June, but to boost its numbers to provide more security. “I...

Stepping up the immigration enforcement bidding war, House Republicans last week asked President Obama to extend the deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border past June 30, when their mission is slated to end. Last year Congress passed a bill boosting the number of U.S. Border Patrol agents, but the 10 Republicans, all members of the Homeland Security Committee, said the new agents have not been fully hired and trained yet, so the National Guard troops should remain. “We request the National Guard remain on the Southwest border until the Department of Homeland Security can fully take...

The Issue:  Authorizing Veteran Status for National Guard and Reserve Members Entitled to Reserve Retirement Pay Immediate Action Required: Contact your Senators and Representative and ask them to support H.R.1025 and S.491. These bills would authorize National Guard and Reserve members entitled to Reserve retirement pay the honor of claiming "Veteran" status. On March 4, 2011, Sen. Mark Pryor introduced S.491, Honor America's Guard-Reserve Retirees Act of 2011. On March 10, 2011, Rep. Tim Walz introduced H.R.1025, co-sponsored by Rep's Tom Latham and Jon Runyan, to amend Title 38 to recognize service in the Reserve Components by honoring them with status...

Both sides are starting to speak out after Rolling Stone reported that the command of Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, who is in charge of training Afghan troops, tried to tap members of the military's "information operations" unit to use their skills on visiting senators and congressmen, among others. The goal, according to the article, was to convince officials to provide more troops and money. The accuser, Lt. Col. Michael Holmes, stood by his allegations in an interview with Fox News. He said the top brass ordered his unit to gather information in a way that was "over the line," and...

Wisconsin National Guard Preps For Worker Unrest After Governor Unveils Emergency Budget Grace Wyler Feb. 14, 2011, 9:49 AM Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a Republican, unveiled an emergency budget proposal Friday to deal with the state's growing budget woes. Wisconsin has a $137 million deficit this year, and faces a projected $2.9 billion budget shortfall for 2012 and 2013. Under Walker's plan, public employees would lose all of their collective bargain rights, except a limited negotiation of wages. State workers would also have to contribute more to their pension and health care benefit plans. Unions erupted in outrage as they...

<p>RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia would have to establish and fully fund its own independent militia if it wanted to ban gays from its National Guard force, Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli says.</p> <p>Cuccinelli issued an advisory opinion earlier this week at the request of Del. Bill Janis, R-Henrico, who asked whether the legislature can order the Virginia National Guard to continue the"don't ask, don't tell" policy recently repealed by Congress.</p>

The Virginia National Guard could still exclude gays from service once federal regulations repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy are issued, but it would likely lose its lifeline of federal funding, according to an opinion issued by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. The opinion, released Friday, came in response to a request by Del. William R. Janis, R-Henrico, and on the heels of House Bill 2474, submitted by Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, that would keep in force the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the Virginia National Guard. Cuccinelli issued another opinion Friday advising that two...

Illinois National Guard soldiers deployed far from Egyptian unrest By JOHN REYNOLDS (john.reynolds@sj-r.com) THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER Posted Jan 28, 2011 @ 11:30 PM The 440 Illinois National Guard soldiers on a yearlong peace-keeping mission in Egypt have not been seriously affected by rioting in Cairo. The group, which includes about 20 soldiers from the Springfield, isn’t able to use commercial communication methods, which the Egyptian government has shut down, but Guard officials said Friday they have been in contact with the soldiers. The soldiers, who are stationed in the Sinai near the Egypt/Israeli border, have not been targeted during the...

President Obama's repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is already damaging the U.S. military. An Army lieutenant colonel has asked to be relieved of command rather than order his troops to go through pro-homosexual indoctrination following the repeal of the policy, which required homosexuals to keep silent about their sexual preference. Currently the commander of a battalion-sized unit in the Army National Guard, the officer also has threatened to resign his commission rather than undergo "behavior modification" training intended to counter his religious convictions about homosexuality.

President Obama's repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is already  damaging the U.S. military. An Army lieutenant colonel has asked to be relieved of command rather than order his troops to go through pro-homosexual indoctrination following the repeal of the policy, which required homosexuals to keep silent about their sexual preference. Currently the commander of a battalion-sized unit in the Army National Guard, the officer also has threatened to resign his commission rather than undergo "behavior modification" training intended to counter his religious convictions about homosexuality. 

<p>SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Authorities in Puerto Rico say a U.S. National Guard helicopter with six people aboard crashed en route to the neighboring island of Vieques.</p>

Grandson Gerry was back from drill a little early, new BDUs issued.

The Obama Administration plans to withdraw National Guard troops from the Texas, New Mexico and California borders by the end February under a new Southwest security plan, even as turmoil in Mexican border cities grows, according to documents obtained by The Washington Examiner. Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/world/2010/11/obama-administration-plans-pull-back-national-guard-much-border#ixzz15vOf36lA

It's an emotional day for family and friends of many California National Guard members as the soldiers leave Los Alamitos Sunday morning for deployment to Iraq. For some of the soldiers, it is their third deployment and for others, it is their first time. Soldiers huddled with loved ones to share goodbyes before taking off. There were three flights scheduled to send off nearly 500 California National Guard members. They will first head to Texas for training and then head to Iraq. ...The 640th Aviation Support Battalion will be deployed for one year. They are part of Operation New Dawn...

EL PASO, Texas — Authorities say a 21-year-old Texas National Guard soldier was one of two men killed on a street in the violent border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Spokesman Arturo Sandoval of the Chihuahua state attorney general's office says family members identified the soldier as 21-year-old Jose Gil Hernandez of El Paso. The identity of the other man was not available, and details on the incident and the dead were few. A message left with FBI El Paso spokesman Michael Martinez by The Associated Press on Wednesday night was not immediately returned. However, he told the El Paso...

All right... all you guys... listen up! I just got off the phone with Sarah Palin. She is coming to Orlando for a big Victory 2010 rally.... and she has invited all vets to attend for free! That's right, she wants all us current and former Grunts, Squids, Blue suiters, Marines, and Coasties to be her special guests this Saturday, October 23d. The event is at the Marriott World Center near Walt Disney World. Admission is normally as much as $90 for this Victory 2010 fundraiser, with all the profits going to ensure a strong Conservative victory this year! If...

SACRAMENTO - Master Sgt. Toni Jaffe was known as "the M&M lady" because she decorated her office cubicle with keepsakes of the confection's advertising characters. But the treats she handed out to members of the California Army National Guard are now the subject of a criminal investigation. From 1986 until her retirement last year, Jaffe's job with the Guard was to give away money - the federally subsidized student-loan repayments and cash bonuses that the Guard is supposed to use to attract recruits and encourage Guard members to reenlist. Instead, according to a Guard auditor turned federal whistleblower, as much...

TUCSON, Ariz. — Government officials are showing off a site where National Guard troops have been deployed near the Mexican border, despite criticism that they will do nothing to stem the tide of illegal immigration.The first troops began their mission on Aug. 30, and no member of the media has been allowed to see firsthand what they've been doing. Border Patrol agents are set to take reporters to one of several sites in southern Arizona on Friday where the troops are acting as what the agency calls "extra eyes and ears."The troops have no arrest power, and the guns they...

<p>The attached photo is of a female National Guard soldier working near El Paso, Texas, along the U.S./Mexican border.</p> <p>Take a close look at the soldier’s M-16…There is no magazine in the rifle!</p> <p>If anyone still needed proof that President Obama has no intention of defending this country, this should do it.</p>

To help spread the word about resiliency, The National Guard held a video contest tasking the states to produce videos to inform Soldiers about the issues that can affect resiliency. After a recent promotion to receive submissions, the Army National Guard has now selected three finalist videos. Please vote for the Georgia video and help send this amazing Soldier to AUSA 2010 to share his AMAZING story of personal courage and resiliency!

Arlington, Va., (9/3/10) -- Almost 1,100 National Guard members are on duty on the Southwest border performing a mission that is very familiar to many of them, a Guard official said today. "This (mission) is not really unique," said Jack Harrison, the director of communications for the National Guard Bureau. "The National Guard has been involved at the Southwest border for two decades." During that time, National Guard members have worked in the counterdrug program in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. "Above and beyond the 1,200 authorized for this mission, there are over 350 counterdrug personnel (in these states)...

The first of 532 National Guard troops are set to begin their mission in the southern Arizona desert on Monday under President Barack Obama's plan to beef up U.S.-Mexico border security, although they won't have any law enforcement authority. Authorities would not say how many troops would start Monday, but said waves of them will be deploying every Monday until all 532 are on the Arizona border, likely by the end of September. In May, Obama ordered 1,200 National Guard troops to boost security along the border. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said the first of 224 National Guard troops...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Wednesday said he was sending more than 200 national guard troops to the California-Mexico border. After a tour of the border Wednesday, Schwarzenegger said he plans to have 224 troops in place by Sept. 1. “These men and women will provide much-needed assistance to help secure our border, but it’s important to remember that this is only the beginning," Schwarzenegger said in a statement Wednesday.

PHOENIX — Don’t look for National Guard troops on the Arizona border just yet. Jack Harrison, spokesman for the National Guard Bureau, said Wednesday that 420 of the 1,200 soldiers President Barack Obama authorized for the mission already have been activated. But Harrison could not say how many are undergoing special training for one of the two missions that soldiers are being assigned. Lt. Valentine Castillo of the Arizona National Guard declined to say how many of those 420 soldiers are in this state. But Castillo said that, with the exception of the soldiers who will be in a “command...

The 1,200 National Guard troops that are being deployed incrementally to the southwest border “will not be doing direct law enforcement,” said U.S. National Guard Bureau Director of Communications Jack Harrison when asked if the forces would be interdicting drugs and undocumented immigrants. “The two mission sets are criminal analysts and enter-identification team,” Harrison told CNSNews.com. “I can tell you that guardsmen will not be doing direct law enforcement on the southwest border.” In other words, the National Guardsmen will not be used to actually stop and detain illegal aliens trying to sneak across the border into the United States.Harrison...

No source, this isn't a blog post or news article. I have some questions that I am hoping can be answered by folks with more experience and information. I have done some research, but am not entirely sure of my findings. I am going to enlist in the Army National Guard. There are a number of reasons I am choosing the Guard over regular Army, not the least of which is the ability to remain within the state of Texas (which has its own reasons for being a concern). Still, I want to enlist as a full time Guard, rather...

A US National Guard vehicle guards covered under camouflage fabric sits atop a mountain next to the border fence near Sonoyta, Mexico, Thursday, July 29, 2010-- The 1,200 National Guard troops expected to arrive Sunday on the southwest border for reinforcement won't finish deploying until late September, federal officials say, stirring confusion and anger among Arizona lawmakers who thought the deadline was Aug. 1. President Obama announced in May he would send National Guard troops amid growing concerns about border violence stemming from illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Many called for a military presence along the U.S-Mexico border to...

National Guard unit prepares to deploy for Afghanistan tour Spc. Aaron Bixler joined the Iowa Army National Guard when he was 17 years old, completing basic training between his junior and senior years of high school. In 2005, he was deployed to Iraq, where he spent a year hunting and digging up roadside bombs, better known as IEDs. "There were some pretty hairy moments where things got a little crazy. I really enjoyed it, for the most part," Bixler said. Now the Mount Pleasant native is getting ready to ship off again, this time to Afghanistan. He's spending his final...

U.S. National Guard troops will begin arriving along the border with Mexico on August 1 to bolster security as the Obama administration tries to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, weapons and narcotics, officials said on Monday. About 300 Customs and Border Protection agents and officers also will be sent to the border region, along with additional helicopters and other surveillance equipment, they said. "The border is more resourced and more secure than it's ever been but the work continues and the challenge remains," said Alan Bersin, commissioner of the Customs and Border Protection agency. The Obama administration has pledged...