Executive Committee Home

February 3, 2006

The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to express our opposition to force reductions in the Army and Air National Guard being considered by the Department of Defense. As you know, our National Guard members have provided nearly 50 percent of the combat forces in Iraq, and the bulk of the U.S. personnel in the Balkans and the Sinai Peninsula. In addition, they comprised about 90 percent of the troops on the ground in Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. These men and women are demonstrating the value of the Total Force Policy that is a major part of our nation's defense strategy.

As Commanders-in-Chief, we appreciate the need to reorganize, restructure and modernize the military to meet new threats and emergencies. We also understand the need for cost-effective means to achieve these goals. We believe that the National Guard best meets these objectives by providing a well trained and ready force able to support both foreign and domestic missions on short notice and at reduced cost.

Fulfilling the mission of the National Guard at home and abroad requires both manpower and equipment. Unfortunately when our National Guard men and women return from being deployed in foreign theatres, much of their equipment remains behind. Attention must be paid to re-equipping National Guard units with the resources they need to carry out their homeland security and domestic disaster duties, while also continuing to fine-tune their wartime mission competencies.

Governors are extremely proud of the role the National Guard plays in protecting this nation and its citizens. The National Guard is a cost-effective, capable combat force in the war on terror and an essential state partner in responding to domestic disasters and emergencies. For these reasons, we respectfully request that the Department of Defense reconsider any proposed force reductions in the Guard and work with Governors to re-equip our returning units.

Sincerely,