NGAUS president's annual report

Every member of the National Guard can look to our association's accomplishments in 1999 with great pride and satisfaction. As a result of the positions we've taken, the battles we've waged, and the record we've built, the NGAUS has helped forge a new vision for the National Guard.

The success we've realized in the last year of this century is certain to be recognized by future generations as the year we rebuilt, repositioned and revitalized the Guard for the challenges of the third millennium.

Through our work with Congress, in the first half of 1999, we experienced our first financial provisions to begin our road to readiness recovery. Following years of under funding, Congress took action to correct our budget shortfalls. Lawmakers increased our Operations and Maintenance accounts by more than $320 million and our Pay and Allowance accounts by more than $90 million. The impact was immediate and dramatic.

In the second half of 1999, Congress started work on our top two priorities: full-time manning and military construction. In the Fiscal Year 2000 budget we expect funding for nearly half of our manning request and more than $500 million additional dollars for Army and Air National Guard construction. In FY 2001, we're hopeful Congress will complete the funding we need to fully resource our full-time manning requirements.

Through our work with our nation's governors, allied associations and community leaders, we've continued to advocate the protection of end strength. In 1999, the National Governors' Association voiced opposition to any Pentagon recommendation reducing Army Guard end strength below 350,000 soldiers. With that mandate, we supported Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's call to postpone and reevaluate remaining Quadrennial Defense Review recommendations to cut another 25,000 troops from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

The NGAUS continues to assume leadership and support roles in the development of many issues, initiatives, budgets, studies and policies. We lent the Defense Department unqualified support in its requests for increased pay and allowances, improved retirement benefits and quality of life initiatives. We offered DoD input into the development of emerging roles for the Guard in Homeland Defense, Weapons of Mass Destruction and real-world missions.

And the NGAUS acts swiftly to support or oppose any legislation affecting the National Guard. Last spring, a bill was introduced that could have opened National Guard armories for use as homeless shelters. While the noble gesture of prohelp to the less difficult to oppose, the less fortunate was difficult to oppose, we showed Congress that the proposal created more problems than it solved.

While the NGAUS works actively with legislative measures, they also devote considerable energy to a wide variety of matters impacting the Guard and our members.

We work steadily to improve our relationship with members of the defense industry. Our highly successful Industry Day, held last December, gathered more than 250 representatives from cutting-edge defense companies to Washington, D.C., to get better acquainted with the Guard. They also learned how to more effectively meet our unique equipment and services requirements.

Expressing support for youth programs, our state partnership programs, military history programs and family support programs often receive timely attention. Of course, all this work occurs within our consuming mission to work for the full resourcing of all National Guard readiness and total-force integration requirements.

The financial operations of our association are conducted under the watchful eye of our treasurer, retired Lt. Gen. Emmett H. Walker Jr In his report (page 43), you'll find a full accounting of our fiscal expenditures, revenues and liabilities. While we've experienced some gains and losses in each of the annotated categories, we are operating with a balanced budget.

In order to continue to strengthen our financial position, the NGAUS is considering and developing initiatives with the promise to add revenue to our bottom line. The NGAUS Insurance Trust, NGAUS Credit Cards and phone cards, magazine advertising sales and assorted promotions are financially rewarding, but our real strength is you.

Your membership in the NGAUS is a proud statement of your belief in the National Guard. It does far more than support the legislative efforts of our combined interests. It does more than work to lobby for pay raises and retirement benefits. It does more than communicate your request for equipment modernization and equal consideration with active-duty forces.

Your membership in the NGAUS represents an investment in the preservation of the institution of the National Guard. Your membership represents one American willing to make a contribution to the fundamental principals of a citizen militia.

These lofty attributes only modestly reflect the value of your membership in our collective efforts, represented by our association. As you review the following pages chronicling our accounting of your investment, I hope you identify with all three dimensions of your personal role in this great cause.

While we have achieved much in 1999, we have so much more to get done. The NGAUS, the National Guard and America, will always rely on your continued support, participation and investment.

[LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES]

One year ago, while we were meeting in Milwaukee to establish our legislative priorities for my first year as your president, Congress was completing work on the 1999 defense budget. As lawmakers worked through their deliberations, they considered our priorities and generously responded to our needs.

We asked Congress for desperately needed funding for Army Guard operations and maintenance accounts. Many of our units, just one year earlier, didn't have enough gas to get their trucks, helicopters, tanks and soldiers to training, because of O&M shortfalls.

Congress responded to our request with more than $320 million additional dollars to support training and readiness. Their support extended into pay and allowances, with a plus up of more than $90 million so we could continue to staff Army Guard installations and send soldiers to schools.

Furthermore, we worked with Congress, the Defense Department and the National Guard Bureau to communicate our support of proposals to increase basic pay in FY 2000 by 4.8 percent and restore the 50 percent active-duty retirement benefit.

In addition, we expect Congress will pass bills to include the Guard in the Thrift Savings Plan, renew Montgomery GI Bill Kickers and Guard eligibility for VA Home Loans, introduce selective re-enlistment bonuses and dental benefits for family members, as well as our citizensoldiers and -airmen.

Early in 1999, the NGAUS saw many of those developments coming and realized Congress was ready to take a more direct hand in solving our funding problems. So, we took the initiative to adjust our legislative strategy and started working on our next set of priorities. The shift in strategy involved efforts to raise Congress' awareness of the readiness and quality of life implications associated with full-time manning shortages.

An essential component of our strategy for communicating these needs with Congress demonstrates its impact on readiness and reminds them that we will work endlessly to achieve full resourcing of all Guard readiness requirements. Only full resourcing will ultimately lead to the Guard's full integration into a truly seamless, total force.

As a result of these efforts, we are all benefiting from perhaps our most rewarding accomplishment so far with the 106th Congress. Thanks to the combined efforts of the NGAUS, the Adjutants General Association, the National Guard Executive Directors' Association and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, it looks like we'll receive funds to support nearly half of our full-time manning request in FY 2000 and the other half in FY 2001.

[STRENGTH IN NUMBERS]

Where it serves the best interests of our association, we get a lot of added bang for the buck when we can join forces with fellow Guard and military associations.

Already, we're experiencing some success working with the Reserve Officers Association and the Association of the United States Army. Together, we've sent letters to Congress and the Defense Department to deflect any initiative to cut Guard and Reserve end strength.

This previously unlikely alliance has the potential to become the norm in our future efforts to propose, or oppose actions impacting the National Guard. That's one main reason we decided to re-energize our membership in The Military Coalition, or TMC.

Membership in the TMC aligns us with more than 30 military and veterans service organizations, representing more than five million members. When it comes to weighing in on issues benefiting the armed forces and the entire military family, our involvement in the TMC represents full unity among all branches of the armed forces. This membership, combined with our Guard and Reserve partnerships, provides this association with a more powerful voice on Capitol Hill.

Another opportunity surfaced over the summer, with the potential to build another powerful coalition. NGAUS staffers attending the National Conference of State Legislators initiated a program to identify state legislators who are also members of the National Guard.

By building a communications network with these influential leaders, we hope to develop another relationship capable of expressing support for National Guard issues.

[THE GOVERNORS' BOTTOM LINE]

Earlier this year, our peacetime commanders-in-chief adopted a position to establish a floor for Army National Guard end strength. The governors said that they will not support cuts to the Army Guard below 350,000 soldiers. Their position was announced in anticipation of efforts to enact remaining recommendations in the 1997 QDR.

Following the announcement of the QDR, active, Guard and Reserve leaders agreed to cut 20,000 Guard and Reserve soldiers from FY 1998 to FY 2000 and defer the balance of the QDR's 45,000 recommended reductions. That remaining 25,000 personnel is now hanging over our heads.

With Army Guard end strength programmed for 350,000 in FY 2000 and the NGA opposed to further cuts, the NGAUS supports the Senate majority leader's call to suspend any further action on the QDR.

[MEMBERSHIP]

While our membership was very active and politically engaged throughout the past year, we incurred a slight percentage drop in overall members. In 1998 our rolls accounted for approximately 70 percent of eligible Guard members and this year we slipped to 68 percent.

The real key to building our membership rests in our ability to demonstrate and communicate the value of our association. Our membership committee continues to develop new strategies to convey the importance of investing in our efforts.

The key to our membership message embraces three returns for their investment. First: NGAUS members realize a direct benefit from supporting association work. They have advocates on Capitol Hill supporting measures that will help develop financial incentives, retirement benefits, health, education and housing benefits. Second: NGAUS members have the benefit of knowing that their interest in preserving a strong National Guard is being protected and promoted by our vigilance.

Providing members of Congress, the Defense Department and defense industry organizations with initiatives, needs and feedback, when they are needed most, helps ensure we get the resources we need, when we need them. Third: NGAUS members have the satisfaction of knowing that their investment is directly contributing to an insurance policy that protects America. Contributing to an organization dedicated to the health and well being of the National Guard, is an individual way to affirm the vision of our nation's founding fathers and their belief in protecting America with citizen-soldiers.

Throughout the year, we have begun working more closely with our state associations. To encourage our state partners and reward them for assisting with our national membership efforts, we put together an "early bird" incentive program. The "early bird" program will offer rebates to state associations who forward their national dues to NGAUS at the start of the year For instance, state associations enrolling 90 percent of their eligible members by February will receive a 5 percent rebate on membership dues. States enrolling 80 percent receive 4 percent and those signing 70 percent would receive a 3 percent rebate.

Earlier this year, the NGAUS Executive Council approved a new complimentary membership program for all newly commissioned National Guard officers. The purpose for the program is to welcome new officers to the Guard and familiarize them with NGAUS. By providing new officers with monthly copies of our magazine, access to our web site and other communications, we can show them the benefits and investment value of our association membership.

[NATIONAL GUARD HISTORY]

Keeping the rich legacy of the National Guard alive is a fundamental mission of our association. Our association headquarters, at One Massachusetts Avenue, in Washington, D.C., serves as a living tribute and memorial to the legacy of our honored predecessors.

Our entire building is a monument, filled with historic artifacts and remembrances dedicated to the heroes and heroics of National Guard contributions to America.

In July 1999, the National Guard Educational Foundation Board of Directors decided it was time to move forward to develop and complete the Grand Gallery in our Memorial Building. This exceptional project will dramatically complement the existing displays, artifacts, sculptures and assorted exhibits.

Another dimension of our association support of military heritage includes participation in many historic observances. Throughout 1999, the NGAUS generously supported several patriotic and historical events. One notable event was our participation in the 55th commemoration of D-Day in Normandy, France.

Several NGAUS representatives participated in ceremonies held at the National Guard D-Day Memorial, which overlooks Omaha Beach at Vierville-sur-mer, where the Guard's 29th Division landed on June 6, 1944. This year's remembrance marked the 30th anniversary of the memorial and solidifies our long-standing relationship with many French veterans.

[NGAUS INSURANCE TRUST]

Since the beginning of the NGAUS Insurance Trust in 1963, millions of dollars in benefits have been provided to Guard members, or their beneficiaries. This year we were able to provide all of our members $1,000 in accidental death and dismemberment benefits.

While we have initiated and marketed new plans, we still have a need to continue to develop new products and to increase participation in these programs.

Revenue from our programs is shared with state associations who signed affinity agreements. In 1998 checks totaling $41,386 were distributed to 27 state associations who supported the Affinity Services program.

Like we did in 1999, next year we will again review all of our contracts for marketing and insurance services to determine ways to increase incentives for state associations capitalizing on the strength of our national membership. Many of our insurance products provide Guard members with affordable services, bridge gaps in coverage and add peace of mind when unexpected costs arise with sudden, unforeseen events.

[LOOKING AHEAD]

The blueprint we'll follow for the upcoming year was developed last month in Atlanta and will be unveiled at the NGAUS Industry Day, Dec. 15.

Figuring prominently on our list of priorities should be the continuation and fulfillment of our full-time manning initiative. It is incumbent on us to see this initiative through. With the anticipated passage of the FY 2000 budget, containing funding for half our manning request, we must reassure Congress that it is essential to complete our full-time manning request in the FY 2001 budget.

In recognition of the NGA position to halt cutting Army Guard end strength, we should keep their guidance at the forefront of any future QDR meetings considering implementing reductions beyond our current 350,000 soldiers.

Within the framework of ongoing missions and real-world optempo, we need to continue to remind Congress and DoD that our needs for resourcing run parallel with the active components. When the active Army and Air Force are busy, so are we. We must receive funding comparable to our active counterparts, and that includes funding to at least platoon level training for the Army Guard.

While equipment modernization in the Army Guard requires ongoing support for Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Paladins, Black Hawks and MLRS systems, to name a few, the Air Guard must receive funding to reach parity with the Air Force.

This point should be perfectly clear following the exceptional example of Air Guard units supporting Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. Clearly, our A-10, KC-135 and C-130 units were ready at a moment's notice to mobilize. We've proven time and again, if given the resources, we can do the job.

To continue to provide the costeffective support we offer the Air Force, we must receive new F-16s, or at least get upgraded block 30's to replace our F-16 A/B fleet. All of our F-16s need the LITENING pod to allow us to deliver precision guided munitions essential for full Air Force integration in future conflicts.

We should begin a re-engining program for all of our A-lOs and KC135s. All of our C-5s and C-141s should be modernized, or replaced by the C-17. Without any second thoughts about our C-130s, we unquestionably need the "J" model.

The Defense Department released a study this year that broadly supports the modernization efforts contained in this report.

Directed by Defense Secretary William Cohen in 1998, the Reserve Components Employment Study for 2005, or RCE 05, supports a substantial number of missions and contentions this association has advocated for quite some time.

RCE 05 recommends studying the transfer of one fighter wing equivalent into the Air Guard. That recommendation is consistent with a recommendation contained in the QDR. This can be accomplished by the Air Force without any infrastructure costs. The NGAUS would like the Air Force to make that cost-effective proposal work by robusting our fighter units from 15 to 18 PAA.

Also, in keeping with forward thinking defense industry analysts, RCE 05 supports the idea of transferring bombers to the Air Guard, creating more Air Force associate programs within the Air Expeditionary Force units and integrating the Air Guard into the National Missile Defense System. The NGAUS will work to endorse and provide support for those recommendations.

The Army Guard also received substantial encouragement from the RCE OS study. Similar to proposals for the Air Guard, the RCE recommends the development of more integration and familiarization with the active Army. The Army Guard should continue to increase roundup relationships with the Army.

RCE OS projects greater reliance on the National Guard in the future for Homeland Defense, smaller scale contingencies and Major Theater Wars. Within Homeland Defense, we can expect, and should accept, responsibility for our states' 911 emergency response needs. The American people have an expectation that we are doing everything we can to prevent, respond to and recover from the effects of any attack on our soil.

The ongoing fielding of Rapid Assessment and Initial Detection, or RAID, teams is currently at the forefront of our efforts to prepare for threats associated with weapons of mass destruction. Already, RAID teams have been established in each of the 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency regions.

Provisions in the FY 2000 budget would allow for the fielding of 17 additional RAID teams, but the NGAUS is actively seeking support for the fielding of 54 teams. To provide minimally acceptable response to a crisis, every state and territory must be able to station and deploy a team at a moment's notice.

In the coming year, your association staff will continue to represent the best interests of the Guard through continued advocacy of Youth Programs, Family Support Programs, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, our State Partnership Program, Defense Industry relationships and many others which play a vital role in the continuing efficacy of our modem National Guard.

[CONCLUSION]

Every facet of our dynamic organization requires constant vigilance and unwavering support. Our militia nation has never needed this association and all the noble causes it represents more than it does now.

Our agenda and strategy for the beginning of the 21st century takes into account that, in spite of all the work we need to do, the National Guard has never been better trained, or prepared to defend America, or Freedom, at home or abroad. Our vision and our preparations take into account that we must be ready to fight the next war, defeat the next enemy and deter new threats, not the last ones.

America is fortunate that there are men and women in the National Guard who are willing to fight for the heritage of liberty left to us by our predecessors. The mantle of liberty and its defense is in our hands. In our moment of leadership, we must remain dedicated to the preservation of freedom's rich blessings.

Copyright National Guard Association of the United States Oct 1999
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