congressional letterhead 735

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 6, 2007

Kagen Fighting For Wisconsin National Guard “Support the Troops Means Training, Equipment, R & R”

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. is working hard to ensure Wisconsin National Guard soldiers have what they need to get the job done.

Last week, the Report of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves revealed National Guard and Reserves units are poorly equipped, poorly funded, and not adequately consulted on important planning.

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, the nation’s highest ranking National Guard officer, testified that eighty-eight percent of stateside Army National Guard units are “very poorly equipped,” with less than half of what they need to respond to a domestic crisis.

These reports come as the nation is reeling from revelations that the government houses wounded soldiers returning from Iraq in vermin-infested conditions and has denied them the long-term care they need.

“’Support our troops’ does not mean holding their coats when they go to fight. It means giving them the body armor, night vision goggles, artillery, rifles and bullets they need,” Kagen said “The federal government must provide Wisconsin’s citizen soldiers with the training and equipment they need to get the job done. And we must give them time to rest and retrain for their next mission.”

Kagen sent a letter to Wisconsin Adjutant General Major General Albert H. Wilkening on Monday to determine if Wisconsin National Guard soldiers crucial readiness issues.

Kagen’s letter to Major General Wilkening asks:

  • Have your troops been given the proper equipment when training?
  • When deployed have your troops always been given all the necessary protection, including body armor, night goggles, as well as updated and adequate rifles, bullets, and armored security vehicles?
  • Have your soldiers deployed overseas had sufficient time to rest and retrain for their next mission?

Kagen met with representatives of Wisconsin’s Army and Air National Guard last month after the Government Accountability Office reported overseas deployments deprived some National Guard units adequate equipment to respond to natural disaster and other emergencies.

Text of letter:

March 5, 2007

Major General Albert H. Wilkening
Adjutant General, Wisconsin National Guard
Department Of Military Affairs
2400 Wright Street
Madison, WI 53704

Dear Sir:

I want to thank you for the productive meeting with your staff on February 10th. The meeting was very helpful in educating me about the Wisconsin National Guard’s mission and the challenges it faces in fulfilling that mission.

New reports about National Guard readiness at the national level concern me. Last week, the Report of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves brought forward sobering evidence that the National Guard and Reserves are poorly equipped, poorly funded, and not adequately consulted on important planning. Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, testified that eighty-eight percent of stateside Army National Guard units are “very poorly equipped,” with less than half of what they need to respond to a domestic crisis.

I have also been greatly concerned by recent news reports on increased strains on the National Guard and Reserves. The Washington Post reported on March 2, 2007 that “nearly 90 percent of Army National Guard units in the United States are rated ‘not ready’ … jeopardizing their capability to respond to crises at home and abroad.” These accounts, as well as others from across the country have compelled me to inquire about the state of readiness of our National Guard in Wisconsin.

Specifically, I wanted to ask of you the following questions:

  • Do units under your command suffer from any equipment shortage that would handicap a response to a local disaster?
  • Have your troops been given the proper equipment when training? When deployed have your troops always been given all the necessary protection, including body armor, night goggles, as well as updated and adequate rifles, bullets, and armored security vehicles?
  • Have your soldiers deployed overseas had sufficient time to rest and retrain for their next mission?
  • Are you or the officers under your command consulted for planning a response to a possible national emergency in Wisconsin?
  • How can the U.S. Congress best serve the Wisconsin National Guard?

I am proud of the dedication of the men and women of our National Guard and Reserves. Their service and personal sacrifices are an inspiration to the citizens of our state, and are deserving of the utmost admiration. I believe they are also deserving of the best training, equipment, and the best leadership from the Administration, the Congress, and their military leadership. I look forward to your responses to these questions, and wish to thank you for your service to our state and our nation as well.

Sincerely,

Member of Congress

Contact:
Curtis Ellis
202 225-5665 (office)
curtis.ellis@mail.house.gov

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