I anticipate that DoD will soon announce a new plan in this area, which is a national follow on to the Guard's long standing role in disaster response here at home. We've also received some recent marching orders from Secretary Cohen on the subject of active-reserve integration, for it is his belief that maximum integration is key if we are to make our overall strategy work. Secretary Cohen has challenged each of the services and the Department of Defense as a whole to identify and tear down any remaining barriers, both cultural and structural, to effective integration between the active and reserve components. Toward that end, a number of recent initiatives have been taken. DOMS is the lead DoD agency in supporting civilian authorities in domestic emergencies, including those involving weapons of mass destruction.
Integration continues on other fronts as well.
By October 1999, six Army National Guard enhanced readiness brigades will form the core of two new integrated divisions under active Army commanders. And reserve component personnel will soon receive green-color identification cards like their active component counterparts. In today's joint environment, when technology is changing the way we work and think, the need for diverse individual and collective skills among soldiers and leaders remains paramount. Given the inherent complexities of jointness, and with ad hoc alliances and coalitions becoming the norm, Joint PME is now, more than ever, a critical component of military strength. Simply put, the highest educational standards and opportunities must be maintained for officers assigned to joint elements.