Military Examines Role In Domestic Defense

Citizen Soldiers May Need More Training On Homeland Operations, Defense Secretary Says

(AP)  Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday ordered his top department leaders to conduct a broad review to determine whether the military, National Guard and Reserve can adequately deal with domestic disasters and whether they have the training and equipment to defend the homeland.

The 41-page memo signaled an acknowledgment that the military must better recognize the critical role of the National Guard and Reserves in homeland defense, but stopped short of requiring many specific policy changes.

His memo comes in the wake of a stinging 400-page independent commission report that concluded the military isn't ready for a catastrophic attack on the country, and that National Guard forces don't have the equipment or training they need for the job.

That report, released early this year by the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, said the Pentagon must use the nation's citizen soldiers to create an operational force that would be fully trained, equipped and ready to defend the nation, respond to crises and supplement the active duty troops in combat.

In response, Gates said that indeed the Guard and Reserves are an integral part of the force and have assumed a greater role in military operations. And he pressed his top leaders to review the training that active duty and reserve troops receive for homeland defense and civil support missions, as opposed to the warfighting now consuming them.

He gave them 25 days to submit their proposed changes, along with any budget impact they might have, in connection with 53 separate recommendations. He said another 29 recommendations are under way or finished.

The commission's report included 95 recommendations. But Gates did not order many of those changes urged by the commission to give National Guard and Reserve troops better access to promotions, military training and education programs and other benefits. Instead, in most cases he ordered leaders in the Defense Department and the military services to review their programs to determine whether changes are needed.

His overall tone, however, pressed officials to better integrate reservists into the modern day military and consider treating them on a more equal basis to the active duty troops. Separately, he asked for more detailed proposals to better develop funding for Guard and Reserve programs and equipment.

Arnold L. Punaro, who was chairman of the commission, welcomed Gates' recommendations Monday, saying that improving the military's role in homeland defense and enhancing the clout of the reserves "represent a historic break with the past."

"Make no mistake, his decisions are aimed at landmark changes, changes that are essential if the Guard and Reserves are to remain fully capable of meeting current and future threats," said Punaro.

[babooph]

Isn''t the "defence" budget really a foreign war budget ?

[alphaa10000]

Congratulations to Gates for recognizing what the rest of us already knew-- nothing has changed with Bush since 911.

Bush, the wannabe "War on Terror" president, made a mess of homeland security, a laughingstock of cybersecurity, and a debacle of ports security.

Is anything left intact, despite Bush and his grand incompetence?

Social Security, perhaps. But only because America''s seniors rejected the Bush idea of sending their money to a Wall Street *** shoot.

[juwboy]

Isn`t babooph really a Limey?

[yongamerica]

Remember Hurricane Katrina?
The Army had to send the states National Guard back home so they could help with the crisis. Louisiana did not have one half of its Guard during this crisis.

The states need an organization that is independent of the US military, and more civilian in nature than a fighting force trained to destroy tanks and planes.
The guard is being misused by Bush''s administration as an extension of the regular Army. It was never intended to function as such, unless the country was full out at World War III.

[yongamerica]

Gates is a yes man for President Bush. He is not the person you want controlling the military. The sooner he is replaced with a leader with greater vision of the future, the better. Because right now Gates can''t see military requirements 2 weeks out.

[evian_ycnan]

So much for the Posse Comitatus Act...

[riptide213]

Eureka!

9/11 and Hurricane Katrina revealed why we must change mindset and operations to upgrade US national defense and homeland security ethos.

All active, reserve, and guard military units must compliment and support every aspect of security and emergency operations to defend our country from ALL enemies foreign and domestic; including disaster relief.

US tax dollars to secure and support US homeland and US citizens.

US border and port security must have genuine integrity. Stop preponderance of threat at border and other poorly policed gateways into our nation.

Once in our country; illegal or unauthorized persons from tax dodgers, disease carrying health risks, spies, terrorists, criminals, can lurk and actively or passively commit acts or cause costly burdens unchecked until it is too late.

Once past our border illegal drugs, weapons, substandard goods, health risk contaminated foods, and other unsafe contraband have already tainted our homeland.

Intergraded and rapidly coordinated emergency response operations and resources streamlined between all local, state, and national levels must be improved.

Use US borders, ports, states, counties, cities, and towns for military training and security operations. Remove legal or attitude barriers to bolster joint military and civilian agency ventures.

Supplementing civilian law enforcement, safety, rescue, major incident response, and defense operations with US military must be a 21st century mandate.

[legacyabq]

riptide, what are you some policy analyst??
Combine military with civilian police force?
Are you nuts??
*** that man, and screw you ultra-hyper-militarizatin types

You are freakin PARANOID, and your reading too much soldier of fortune or something

[legacyabq]

Before I start endorsing a few billion dollars for this, I have a couple of questions

Posted by fahr451 at 08:55 AM

Yeah, exactly, that''s what IM talkin about!
Sounds postively Cheney-esque
--or-- Cheneistic

Hehehe

[hologram5]

You gotta be kidding me. They dont have equipment because you idiots stripped them of it years ago when you started this assinine war. Now you want more money from the taxpayers to replace the toys you broke? Absolutely NOT...

[libsh8theusa]

I''ve said for years (20+) that the US is not the worlds police force.. and we need to worry about AMERICA FIRST..

We need to finish the mission in Iraq, then quickly (which means little or no politician intervention) take out the Al-Qaeda.. Then bring our men and women home.. And if terrorist attack US again then send out hit teams.. Not every swing d!ck.. just a select few to terminate whom ever is involved in Attacking America.. and kill their family and their family pet.. Send a message... WE BIT BACK HARDER THEN WE ARE BIT... Fear is the only thing humans understand..

[boatdocster]

How can the USA spend 650 Billion on annually on Defense and not be ready?

We spend more money than the combined Defense budgets of EVERY OTHER COUNTRY on the planet, yet what do we get for that? A report that says our home forces are underequipped and not trained for what they need to know.

Where is our money going????

[lemonskink]

The US spent more on defense than the next 44 countries entire defense budgets combined. Combined! This homeland talk is scary folks...homeland defense? They realize since Bush the country is on the verge of revolution or just basic survival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kqmNTk6ls0

[drinuk]

What Gates is really referring to is the prospect of civil unrest during the next few years when the country finally and inevitably goes **** up. Who is going to protect the crooks who have caused this disaster and the politicians who have sat by rubbing their hands as the lobby greased their sticky fingers.

In conjunction with the Patriot Act he needs to brainwash our soldiers to fight their brothers on the false and feeble excuse of protecting the nation. Whilst in truth it is only Corporate America and the Zionist Israel lovers who will need protection. The Bush Empire will do all in it''s power to come to their aid as they have done all along.

OUR enemy is not holed up in a cave in Northern Pakistan, they are here in American running and deciding the fate of our country, they are the very people we employ to drive the bus of state. Their time is up and Gates knows it.

Time to start following the money, over a billion from Lehman Bros and then there are all the other "Respectable" banks, where has all the money gone ?

[allzwell]

I hope one of the first things Obama does when he takes office is get rid of this "homeland" poop. It''s "National Security", not "Homeland Security"... where did this communist sounding term come from?

[lochlan-2009]

"Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday ordered his top department leaders to conduct a broad review to determine whether the military, National Guard and Reserve can adequately deal with domestic disasters and whether they have the training and equipment to defend the homeland."

Our government are now turning the military towards the same U.S. citizens they are planning on stealing from. The government is going to financially collapse next year, all the banks backed by the U.S. government are going to default. The FDIC has in their reserves $45.2Billion, do you really believe your money is going to be insured by a bankrupt government (Do some math for once in your life people)? When these banks CDS''s turn out to be more than the country could ever earn and pay back, what will happen to the banks? When the now invested U.S. government banks are in default and closed, how are you going to get your paycheck, never mind your savings? What do you think is going to happen when the run on the banks begins from the first bank failure. As president Bush said, "This sucker is going down". The military is being called in for training because we are going to see them going through our streets (especially cities) quite often these next couple of years, looking for people who are more angry than the government feels they should be, for them stealing their entire life savings.

[j_flood]

I vote YES to remove ''homeland'' from our vocabulary!

I was 12 years in the USAF and it seems like every generation (or less) we seem to lose the plot and yet ANOTHER re-evaluation must occur. And yet when you get right down to it - the threats are still the same but the names have changed - good luck DoD!

PS - Please Obama ask Bob Gates to stay for another term as Defense Secretary

[indianaman13]

In this writers opinion, using the national guard for disaster relief is ridiculous. By empowering the reserves and the guard, we will have a force at home not unlike Saddam''s Iraqi security force or Iran''s home guard. Why do we need such a standing army? If an earthquake, hurricane, or other large natural disaster occurs, local populations will rise up to help each other like they have since the founding of America. Sending armed soldiers to such scenes just doesn''t make sense. With the largest Navy and Air Force in the world, no country should even get close to our borders, and if they do, we are the best armed country in the world and we should have plenty of warning if some foreign nation sends thousand of troops our way by land, sea, or air. A standing army like what Gates is proposing sounds a lot like the beginnings of a new Gestapo. We need more accountable civilian police, not more unaccountable military persons, look at how accountable military people have been in the past(Cant be tried by civilian courts, only Court Marshals)

[truthrocks1]

Obama''s gestapo is what they are talking about.

Members of our armed forces are not so ready to crush the liberties of their fellow Americans.

The libtard left may have fallen for his pick-up lines, but our troops will show him what the "Domestic" part in "Defending the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic" really means.

[riptide213]

Pressure point global politics, rather than big stick swing and smash methodology.

My fellow Americans; fear not a Ministry of Peace.

How refreshing that our so dynamically elected new commander in chief has a historic opportunity to justly reinvent and reinvigorate how an unbridled America can now focus on helping itself first, before policing the world with our bushed (could not resist) military in the 21st century.

US tax funded National Defense must begin at home and mainly stay at home.

Mass military occupations are so out of fashion.

Quality intelligence partnered up with honed US military unconventional warfare and special operations by stealth and by guile to convey a distant preemptive threat disruption and elimination policy is much more cost effective and less risky.

Sea pirates, tyrants, and the like can be sunk one boat or training camp at a time.

[sport2069]

Bush has destroy our constitution , bill of rights , laws , freedom , economy and now this military-industrial complex which John Kennedy was warning the U.S. citizens about ,, before they eliminated him , is carrying out the mission which John Kennedy stated...

Bush had them practice in Iraq for house to house search and destroy. The military has developed and paid for with our tax money WMD to use against the U.S. Citizens.

The government including the democrats , have passed laws making it legal to do anything to the citizens of this country that the government wishes to do , without any oversight or control to stop them..

Lot of Americans believe that the gun they have in the home will protect them... They must have never seen a tank roll in.. Or pay any attention to the un-man planes Bush has with WMD and satellite spying and camera technology which they cans see the pimple on your fact and blow in less then a second..
They have the concentration camps and their private mercenary army like blackwater to do as they please.. Even more so then their activities in New Orleans..
Halliburton is waiting to get anther billion dollar contract..

Have Americans been paying attention to UK , Germany and some other foreign countries... They are developing the same state police force rules and policies of the great dictatorial countries of the past.. Spying on their citizens , using military police strong force against their citizens...

[toolmangler-2009]

The constant in-fighting between political parties is what has allowed us to be brought to this point. The right has designated the left as "such and such" and visa-versa the left to the right as "so and so", couple this with a Cowboy wannabe..... No! that is wrong also. Bushy_baby isn''t the first POTUS to have to deal with terrorism and other forms of aggression. Every POTUS since WWI has been hurt by the inability to know what his enemy was planning and bemoaned the fact to Congress so often that Congress has over the years stripped the Constitution of its protective language so that a edict could be inserted to give POTUS the knowledge he sought. And that my friends is how Big Brother has been born, one tiny adjustment at a time to the Constitution of the only FREE nation the world has ever known.
part (1)

[toolmangler-2009]

When are you (in general) going to understand, ''its not about Iraq, Iran or any other ME country. The whole thing is a smoke screen for the Globalization of the ''world economy''. You have the "European Union as an established fact, Chavez is working on the "South" American Union, Bushy_baby is working on the "North" American Union and is keeping things stirred up while all this is going on behind the scenes. Here are a few of the things that will not be tolerated in the NWO (or whatever name they end up using) Terrorism, this is the ''big'' scare tactic (quite effective too) that will result in a world wide police force (with all powers). Religion is next since this is an emotional tool that can topple States. Since people inherently know there is a GOD, The State will provide a ''state sponsored'' religion that they see as placating the masses without realizing that Gods people will know the sham, we already see it working and are not fooled. Those that use the Churches as social stepping-stones will walk down the garden path to destruction. Those that truly listen for GODs word, will not. Weapons (guns) are the third and last bastion of freedom to fall. (can''t have any chance of armed insurrection in the NWO.
Part (2)

[toolmangler-2009]

One mans opinion: The biggest crime of all of this is, Crime can be stopped, The government does not

''want'' it stopped. If they stop crime then they will not be able to justify the "HUGE" budget that is dragging

this country down. War can be stopped, "No one wants it stopped, unless they have a stake (family)

involved in the fighting" there is nothing that can withstand the will of the ''people'' if they really mean what

they say. because Soldiers are ''people'' also. they will resist the intent of the people just so long, then they

start questioning their leaders. Crime is "BIG BUSINESS". BIG BUSINESS is translated as the precurser

to "BIG BROTHER". If crime and war are stopped, they lose. The drug lords will be out of a job if Crime

is stopped. Health care will be more affordable if crime stops, Ghettos will dissapear if crime stops. The

Stars are in our grasp if crime stops. GOD would be happy if crime stopped. It will but not yet, so hunker

down boys, and dig in for the long haul, man is too greedy and stupid to stop crime/war.
Part (3)

[toolmangler-2009]

For those that entered late, here is an update of the situation.

In order for Big Brother (big business) to achieve his gameplan, (Globalization of the industries of the
world) a few things must happen first. A world government must be instituted in all areas that control nonreplaceable resources. (Oil, Gas, Coal, Steel, Uranium, Gold and Diamods (Oh almost forgot, Food)).
The fastest way to have this happen is to instigate turmoil in the regions you must control. This way you
may send in armed forces to "Quell the ''insurrection'' and restore order for the masses". The Mid East is
well underway to reaching the boiling point (then they will find out what ''Total War'' is all about). once that is handled the next step is the Americas. (Esp. the USA). In the USA we find that the ''racial'' pot is now on the boil. This necessitates the full militarization of H.L.S. (Home Land Security) Terrorists and Racially motivated hate groups (suddenly discovered) have joined forces and are wreaking havoc on the stability of the USA''s Infrasructure. ("You can''t trust your neighbor" is the watchword of the day). If you think I am smoking soap, read "1984" and the "Animal farm" by George Orwell then look at the recent history of the wars in this and the previous century. Its almost here folks and Race is the trigger that will bring it to fruition.