Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel    
    
        Special Victims Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Chief: National Guard that proved itself after 9/11, Katrina faces new challenges By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
                National Guard Bureau
 NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The National Guard proved its relevance, value and accessibility after the manmade disaster of Sept. 11, 2001, and after the natural disaster named Katrina that hit almost four years later, the Guard's senior officer said today. "These last eight years have been a testimonial to your service, to your patriotism, to the respect that the nation has for what the National Guard can contribute," Gen. Craig McKinley told the 131st National Guard Association of the United States General Conference meeting here. Speaking on the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks, the 26th chief of the National Guard Bureau recalled, "I was in the Pentagon. I watched Secretary of Defense [Donald] Rumsfeld go out ... and help people. ... A lot of Guardsmen did the same thing."
McKinley said the Air National Guard was flying patrols over the Pentagon within minutes, and other Guardsmen around the country vowed to never let another attack happen on their watch again. "That's what I go to sleep with at night," he said. McKinley said the National Guard must now rise to a smorgasbord of new challenges he outlined for the more than 4,000 active and retired Guardmembers and their guests attending the NGAUS conference, including military and political leaders from each of the 54 states and territories and the District of Columbia. And with economic challenges come tighter budgets. "The budget will be a No. 1 issue," for Department of Defense leaders, McKinley predicted. "We're going to go through a period of time of contracting resources. ... We're also going to be involved in an era of persistent conflict. So how do you balance it out? Era of persistent conflict and beginning an era of dwindling resources? "Every chief and every director ... and every adjutant general ... has had to play their part in how you balance the risk associated with resourcing and being prepared to do your mission at home and your mission abroad." McKinley made a pledge on behalf of NGB and its directorates: "We ... will do everything we can to balance risk and make sure we get the most that we can for the National Guard that has served so well. We can't let [the Guard] slide back as we did after World War II." But this, too, will be a challenge. The National Guard has relied on a cascade of equipment that was purchased new for the active components, then passed on to a Guard that was famous for wringing extraordinary life from used equipment. "In many cases, the cascading equipment that served this great Guard for 60 years following World War II ... is no more," McKinley said. "We can build new. We can put good money against maintaining old equipment, or we can wait for the concurrent and proportional status." McKinley was referring to the emerging concept that the National Guard will receive new equipment concurrently and proportionally with the active components. "We need to have a strategy for both the Air and the Army National Guard that continues to keep faith with the Soldiers and the Airmen who have stuck with us through eight years of persistent conflict, and who ... will stay with us for the next decade if we do our job right," McKinley said. McKinley stressed the importance of mentors for Soldiers and Airmen, listing his own, many of whom were present, including former chiefs of the National Guard Bureau and directors of both components. Those leaders were responsible for the birth of some of the National Guard's most successful and enduring programs, such as the State Partnership Program, Counterdrug and Youth ChalleNGe. "You have to go out and find mentors," McKinley said. "You can't wait for mentors to come to you." McKinley mentioned the agribusiness development teams currently at work in Afghanistan - a program seemingly destined to emulate the successes of the SPP, Counterdrug and Youth ChalleNGe. Recently, 355 Arkansas Guardmembers volunteered for an ADT that required 58 members. "It's not about 'Who's gotta go?' " McKinley said. "It's they're fighting to go. ... These agribusiness development teams may be the turning point to bring ... Afghanistan around." The nation and the Guard rose to the challenge of 9/11. "We can be a better country because of this," McKinley said "We grieve for the families, who lost members because of 9/11, but we are a better nation, and we are a kinder nation, and we've liberated a country from a despotic dictator, and we're trying to help a country turn itself around and come from the 15th century into a new world order. "The 21st century will be tough for all of us, but the National Guard is resilient. It will take the challenge, it will do its job, it will be there when its nation needs it, and I can't thank you all enough for the jobs you do, for the sacrifices you make and for the commitment you have to your states and to this nation."
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 North Carolina Guard Welcomes New Zambian State Partnership
 By Lt. Col. Ellis Parks,
  Vermont Army Guard Soldiers Attend Brazilian Mountain School
 By Sgt. Denis Nunez,
  Idaho Air Guard Conducts Panther Shadow Exercise
 By Senior Master Sgt. Joshua Allmaras,
  More
 Idaho Air Guard Conducts Panther Shadow Exercise5/3/2024Massachusetts Guard Helps Host Crisis Leadership Seminar5/2/2024Massachusetts Air Guard Airmen Test New Air Combat Tactics5/2/2024 View more Guard News »
 Vermont Army Guard Soldiers Attend Brazilian Mountain School5/3/2024
New York Army Guard Soldiers Heading to North Africa4/30/2024
Pennsylvania National Guard Members Deploy to Africa4/19/2024 View more Overseas Operations News »
 North Carolina Guard Welcomes New Zambian State Partnership5/3/2024

Guard Leaders Stress NCOs Role in State Partnership Program5/3/2024

Enduring Partners 2024 Begins with Thai-US Airmen Exchange5/2/2024 View more State Partnership Program News »
 Back-to-school tools for military families8/11/2015DoD sends blended military retirement proposal to Congress6/16/2015First employment symposium held for National Guard spouses5/11/2015 View more Family Programs News »
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil