IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 665 

Honoring the service of the National Guard and requesting consultation 

by the Department of Defense with Congress and the chief executive 

officers of the States prior offering proposals to change the National 

Guard force structure. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2006 

Mr. FORD (for himself, Mr. CARDOZA, and Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the service of the National Guard and requesting 

consultation by the Department of Defense with Congress and the chief executive officers of the States prior 

offering proposals to change the National Guard force 

structure. 

Whereas the Army National Guard and Air National Guard 

of the United States, representing all 50 States, Guam, 

Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and the 

District of Columbia, have played an indispensable role in 

the defense of the United States; 

Whereas during one phase of the Global War on Terrorism, 

Army National Guard soldiers comprised nearly half of 

the United States combat forces in Iraq; 
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•HRES 665 IH 

Whereas National Guard personnel are currently deployed in 

Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, and more than 40 other 

countries around the world; 

Whereas 90 percent of the troops on the ground in Louisiana 

and Mississippi responding to Hurricane Katrina were 

members of the National Guard; 

Whereas, while performing these critical missions, the National Guard continues to experience significant equipment shortages, especially vehicle and radio shortages; 

Whereas members of the National Guard are not ‘‘weekend 

warriors’’, but citizen-soldiers and airmen who serve fulltime when their country needs them to do so; 

Whereas the National Guard is a resource shared by the chief 

executive officers of the States and the President; 

Whereas the National Guard is America’s militia; 

Whereas deployment to fight terrorism on two fronts overseas, while protecting the United States homeland, has 

stretched the National Guard thin; 

Whereas the future of the National Guard could be determined by the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) currently underway; 

Whereas the Army and Air Force could recommend changes 

in the force structure of the National Guard; 

Whereas reductions in force structure could impact numerous 

Army National Guard armories and Air National Guard 

wings; 

Whereas reductions in force structure combined with the lack 

of adequate equipment for the National Guard threaten 

its capacity to discharge its missions and its ability to respond in emergencies; 
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•HRES 665 IH 

Whereas homeland defense is the most important mission of 

the Department of Defense; and 

Whereas the National Guard is the force best suited to defend the homeland and therefore the element from which 

resources should not be cut: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the vital Federal and State mis3 sions of the Army National Guard of the United 

4 States and the Air National Guard of the United 

5 States, including support of ongoing missions in Iraq 

6 and Afghanistan and homeland defense and disaster 

7 assistance and relief efforts; 

8 (2) recommends that the Department of De9 fense propose fully funding the equipment needs of 

10 the National Guard; 

11 (3) believes that the Department of Defense 

12 should, as soon as possible, consult with the chief ex13 ecutive officers of the States, as well as Congress, on 

14 any proposed changes to the National Guard force 

15 structure; 

16 (4) requests that any plan of the Department 

17 of Defense regarding the National Guard force 

18 structure take into account the role of the National 

19 Guard role in homeland defense and other State 

20 missions as defined by the chief executive officers of 

21 the States; 
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•HRES 665 IH 

1 (5) requests that the Department of Defense 

2 prepare budget projections that detail cost savings 

3 from any changes in National Guard force structure, 

4 as well as projected costs in the event large per5 sonnel increases are necessary to respond to a na6 tional emergency; and 

7 (6) requests that the Department of Defense 

8 assure Congress and the chief executive officers of 

9 the States that potential changes in the National 

10 Guard force structure will not impact the safety and 

11 security of the United States people. 

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