III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 355 

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 to offering proposals to change the National 

Guard force structure. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 26, 2006 

Mr. NELSON of Nebraska (for himself, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. TALENT, Mrs. DOLE, Mr. DEWINE, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. 

THUNE, Mr. ISAKSON, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. 

BAUCUS, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. KOHL, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. BAYH, Ms. 

CANTWELL, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. 

CONRAD, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. JOHNSON, 

and Mr. DURBIN) 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 

to 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 
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•SRES 355 IS

District of Columbia, have played an indispensable role in 

the defense of our country; 

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; 

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 our 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; 
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•SRES 355 IS

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; 

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 Senate— 

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; 
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•SRES 355 IS

1 (4) requests that any plan of the Department 

2 of Defense regarding the National Guard force 

3 structure take into account the role of the National 

4 Guard role in homeland defense and other State 

5 missions as defined by the chief executive officers of 

6 the States; 

7 (5) requests that the Department of Defense 

8 prepare budget projections that detail cost savings 

9 from any changes in National Guard force structure, 

10 as well as projected costs in the event large per11 sonnel increases are necessary to respond to a na12 tional emergency; and 

13 (6) requests that the Department of Defense 

14 assure Congress and the chief executive officers of 

15 the States that potential changes in the National 

16 Guard force structure will not impact the safety and 

17 security of the United States people. 

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