Editorial: Wars taking toll on Guard

Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006 | 8:11 a.m.

Military leaders are acknowledging the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan hinder the Army National Guard's ability to prepare for battle and future emergencies.

More than two-thirds of Guard brigades are not ready for combat due to equipment shortfalls and lack of training, the Associated Press reported.

"I am further behind or in an even more dire situation than the active Army, but we both have the same symptoms, I just have a higher fever," said Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, the nation's top National Guard general. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Carl S. Ey assured AP that troops currently in battle zones are "100 percent" ready, but said the situation is grim for Guard personnel based around the country.

Many military personnel leave the Army or transfer to other posts when they return from deployment, and a budget pinch has left the Guard scrambling to train personnel to fill the gaps. The Army also hasn't been able to adequately replace and repair tanks, trucks and other equipment that returns from overseas. Of course, some of it is destroyed and left behind. The Guard needs as much as $21 billion to cover equipment shortfalls, Blum said.

Military leaders don't like to talk openly about readiness, so it speaks volumes that officials publicly admit they are hurting. Their candor - aimed at pressuring Congress - suggests the problem is serious and immediate. A lack of new recruit training and equipment shortages leave states vulnerable in emergencies and ultimately erode the nation's ability to sustain a strong fighting force.

As part of its massive funding outlays for Iraq and Afghanistan, Congress should commit enough money for proper National Guard training and equipment. This is no time to shortchange the men and women who now find themselves fighting a war, patrolling the Mexican border and standing ready for the next natural disaster.