PRIOR POSTS:
The National Guard Association of the U.S. or NGAUS has been and continues to be very actively involved in the fight to "Save the Guard." Check out: http://www.ngaus.org/issues-advocacy/priorities-issues/army-national-guard-budget-cuts
NGAUS recently completed a comprehensive analysis of the FY15 Presidential Budget Request. Check out: http://www.ngaus.org/sites/default/files/AnalysisFY15PB_6MAR14.pdf
For more from NGAUS, click on the Media & Links tab and scroll two-thirds down the page.
NGAUS recently completed a comprehensive analysis of the FY15 Presidential Budget Request. Check out: http://www.ngaus.org/sites/default/files/AnalysisFY15PB_6MAR14.pdf
For more from NGAUS, click on the Media & Links tab and scroll two-thirds down the page.
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Some recent articles by Sydney Freedberg of BreakingDefense.com raise some very interesting points and are well worth reading:
http://breakingdefense.com/2014/03/army-guard-chiefs-strive-for-compromise-as-subordinates-quarrel/
http://breakingdefense.com/2014/03/ngaus-escalates-guard-army-conflict-another-notch/
http://breakingdefense.com/2014/05/hasc-gives-guard-half-a-loaf-will-sasc-provide-the-rest/
As the last article points out, the "two halves" need to be made one - H.R. 3930 and S.B. 2295 need to blend the best of both to support the National Guard.
Very recently, there was a mid-air collision between 2 Active Duty Apaches. The accidents are still under investigation, but it appears as if both Apaches are being considered Class A, meaning significant damage or total loss of the airframe. There was also a recent Class A accident, by Active Duty, in Afghanistan. It appears that all three of these accidents can be contributed to "pilot error."
Details forthcoming...
The Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 1200.17 governs managing the Reserve Components as an Operational Force. In it, it specifies that the Secretaries of the Military Departments shall:
"Manage their respective RCs as an operational force such that the RCs provide operational capabilities while maintaining strategic depth to meet U.S. military requirements across the full spectrum of conflict." (DoDD 1200.17, Encl, para 10.b.)
In other words, IAW this directive, the Reserve Component must be able to train for and be ready for ALL types of conflict. This directive clearly spells out that the Guard must maintain combat power, which of course includes keeping Apache helicopters in the Guard.
http://breakingdefense.com/2014/03/army-guard-chiefs-strive-for-compromise-as-subordinates-quarrel/
http://breakingdefense.com/2014/03/ngaus-escalates-guard-army-conflict-another-notch/
http://breakingdefense.com/2014/05/hasc-gives-guard-half-a-loaf-will-sasc-provide-the-rest/
As the last article points out, the "two halves" need to be made one - H.R. 3930 and S.B. 2295 need to blend the best of both to support the National Guard.
Very recently, there was a mid-air collision between 2 Active Duty Apaches. The accidents are still under investigation, but it appears as if both Apaches are being considered Class A, meaning significant damage or total loss of the airframe. There was also a recent Class A accident, by Active Duty, in Afghanistan. It appears that all three of these accidents can be contributed to "pilot error."
Details forthcoming...
The Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 1200.17 governs managing the Reserve Components as an Operational Force. In it, it specifies that the Secretaries of the Military Departments shall:
"Manage their respective RCs as an operational force such that the RCs provide operational capabilities while maintaining strategic depth to meet U.S. military requirements across the full spectrum of conflict." (DoDD 1200.17, Encl, para 10.b.)
In other words, IAW this directive, the Reserve Component must be able to train for and be ready for ALL types of conflict. This directive clearly spells out that the Guard must maintain combat power, which of course includes keeping Apache helicopters in the Guard.
dodd_1200.17.pdf | |
File Size: | 123 kb |
File Type: |
And yet, despite this Directive, at the end of February
2014, at the National Governors Association Conference in D.C., General
Campbell - the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army - pointed his finger at
the Governors and said, in effect, "You [Governors] don't know why you
need Apaches in the National Guard... there will be no commission study
about the right mix of Guard, Reserve, and Active forces."
Case in point for why the National Guard needs to remained actively involved in full spectrum operations, the U.S. military has sent troops and aircraft to Poland to be staged and ready for potential issues in Ukraine. If the situation destabilizes and conflict arises, the U.S. Army is going to want an Operational Reserve to back fill Active Duty forces.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/03/11/us-f16s-troops-to-poland-over-ukraine-crisis.html
The Army needs to explain EXACTLY where all the 192 Apache Helicopters of the National Guard will go, provided the Aviation Restructure Initiative is approved. Many of these Guard Apaches wouldn't even be going directly into immediate aviation service – as in they may be placed in a hangar. It's time for transparency!
For the first time in history, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee has rejected a major Defense Department strategic review. “In defiance of the law, [the review] provides no insight into what a moderate-to-low risk strategy would be, is clearly budget driven, and is shortsighted. It allows the president to duck the consequences of the deep defense cuts he has advocated and leaves us all wondering what the true future costs of those cuts will be,” McKeon said. Learn more @ http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/03/04/house-armed-services-chairman-rejects-defense-review-for-first-time-in-history/
Around the same time, the National Association of Governors sent a letter to President Obama, with strong objections to the proposed cuts of the National Guard. This letter was signed by ALL 50 Governors - this is something every State in the Union is against. Here's the letter:
Case in point for why the National Guard needs to remained actively involved in full spectrum operations, the U.S. military has sent troops and aircraft to Poland to be staged and ready for potential issues in Ukraine. If the situation destabilizes and conflict arises, the U.S. Army is going to want an Operational Reserve to back fill Active Duty forces.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/03/11/us-f16s-troops-to-poland-over-ukraine-crisis.html
The Army needs to explain EXACTLY where all the 192 Apache Helicopters of the National Guard will go, provided the Aviation Restructure Initiative is approved. Many of these Guard Apaches wouldn't even be going directly into immediate aviation service – as in they may be placed in a hangar. It's time for transparency!
For the first time in history, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee has rejected a major Defense Department strategic review. “In defiance of the law, [the review] provides no insight into what a moderate-to-low risk strategy would be, is clearly budget driven, and is shortsighted. It allows the president to duck the consequences of the deep defense cuts he has advocated and leaves us all wondering what the true future costs of those cuts will be,” McKeon said. Learn more @ http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/03/04/house-armed-services-chairman-rejects-defense-review-for-first-time-in-history/
Around the same time, the National Association of Governors sent a letter to President Obama, with strong objections to the proposed cuts of the National Guard. This letter was signed by ALL 50 Governors - this is something every State in the Union is against. Here's the letter:
national_governors_association_letter_to_obama.pdf | |
File Size: | 3054 kb |
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WHAT'S AT RISK: ESTIMATED VALUE OF A GUARD APACHE PILOT
The cost to train a brand new AH-64D Apache pilot, fresh out of Army Flight School, is approximately $1 Million. And using the FY14 CEAC Rates, and applying the average cost, per flight hour, of an AH-64D Apache, the following monetary values apply to an Apache aviator:
1000 hrs flight experience = $4 Million Investment
2500 hrs flight experience = $8.5 Million Investment
5000 hrs flight experience = $16 Million Investment
Clearly, the more experience, the more an individual pilot is worth. Without a doubt, Guard aviators have, on average, more flight experience than Active Duty. If the average Guard Apache Helicopter Pilot has approximately 2000 hours, this equates to a 7 MILLION DOLLAR investment per aviator. If you multiply the total number of Guard Apache Helicopter pilots by this amount, this equates to roughly 4 BILLION DOLLARS! Is the Army really willing to discount this, and throw all of this experience – this investment – away? And this does not include the cost of what it will take to retrain replacement Active Duty pilots, not to mention years upon years of training to get the replacement force anywhere near the experience level the Guard currently possesses. Nor does it include the cost to replace and retrain the skilled crew chiefs who maintain the Guard aircraft; nor the cost of all the skilled support personnel of every Guard Battalion. If the ARI is approved, this places a significant burden on tax payers, and creates a significant gap in vulnerability. Furthermore, this eliminates a place for Active Duty pilots to go to after leaving Active Duty, which is a further loss of investment.
Here's an analogy... it's like the U.S. Olympic Team taking one third of their team, the third that are not full-time Olympians, but those that may have other jobs in addition to training for the Olympics, and just letting them go. And in that one third are some of the most committed, most passionate, and oftentimes most diverse and experienced. The ARI threatens to do just that to the National Guard Apache and Kiowa Warrior pilots and maintainers. These are the Guardsmen and women in your State, in your community, in your neighborhood. Are you, as a tax paying citizen, OK with that?
DOMOPS
Apache and Kiowa Warrior units in the Guard do more than just train for combat. They provide ready and immediate Domestic Operations (DOMOPs) to their respective States. They can provide an Air Base of Operations (AOB) for air and ground ops, and integrate with other services such as firefighting. Support companies within the Battalion can provide ground equipment (vehicles, generators) and mechanics; a robust medical section that can provide a variety of medical care; two mobile kitchens as well as several tents that can provide heat and housing in the event of a natural disaster. Apache helicopters can provide airborne command and control, escort vehicles around destroyed bridges and other infrastructure, and use FLIR (infrared) to locate isolated persons and even find hot spots during firefighting to assist with water bucket drops.
CAB COMPARISON
19 AH-64 CABs (11 AC & 8 NG) were not enough for OEF and OIF/OND, which forced the Army to plus up to 21 CABs (13 AC & 8 NG). This was found to be the minimum for the Army to maintain aviation operations during persistent conflict. With the ARI, the total number of CABs will be reduced to 10, and all of those Active Duty. In other words, this would leave NO CABs in reserve. Consider this... the cost of 1 AC CAB is the same as 3 NG CABs. OEF is drawing down, but who knows what the future holds. Wouldn't it make more sense – for the price and the value – to keep ALL 8 NG Apache Battalions? If the Army needs to save money, the fiscally responsible thing to do is to downsize the AC CABs, but plus up the NG CABs.
Consider this... a new "patch chart" with a proposal to move 6 additional CABs from Active Duty to the National Guard – for a cost savings of nearly $4 Billion Annually!
arng_fy15_cab_realignment_proposal_v6.pptx | |
File Size: | 538 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
WHAT LIES BEHIND CURTAIN #3?
NGB shouldn't be bartering any deals with the Active Duty, especially now that HR 3930 is on the table. Why would any State TAG or SAO agree to anything right now? The results from the commission of proposed House Resolution 3930, on "the National Commission on the Structure of the Army Act of 2014," once approved, will highly likely favor the Guard. Just as the recent Air Force commission did for the Air Guard & Reserves [READ BELOW]. There is likely to be more CABs and ARBs/ARSs moved to the Guard, especially considering the huge debt of our Federal Government.
Congressman Wilson, the original sponsor of H.R. 3930, had this to say, “This restructuring also significantly reduces personnel, many of whom are aviation personnel with years of experience as either pilots or in aircraft maintenance. Over 6,000 of these personnel, whom the Army has invested significant time and money, will be forced out of a job and will be cut from the Army National Guard as a result of this proposal. Such a restructuring cannot and should not be rushed.”
A SNAP SHOT
The RAND Study titled "Rethinking the Reserves," is being referenced extensively by Active Duty Army, saying that this study is the proof behind their position. While the numbers presented in the study are sound, there is a huge flaw by the Army in referencing this study. The study was a "snap shot" – it does not include data for the entire conflict of OEF or OIF, but rather a narrow window of time during these conflicts. Furthermore, the study uses data that applies to persistent conflict – in other words, it states that Active Duty is more cost effective, IF the Nation is always at conflict. The study was conducted when troops were still in Iraq. OIF is over, and it likely won't be long til OEF draws down as well. Also, what the study fails to consider is the cost savings were the Guard to do home station mobilization. Clearly, another study is in order. Since when was it acceptable to use a single reference for the basis of a major decision?
"Seriously – this is what we're basing our National Security and perhaps the fate of our Nation on? UNBELIEVABLE!" – A Senior National Guard Officer
A comprehensive study was just completed on the Air Force, and the findings show that rather than cut the Reserve Component, it is prudent to maintain or even increase end strength of the RC. Learn more at: http://afcommission.whs.mil/public/docs/AF%20Report.pdf
af_commission_exec_summary_points_v1.docx | |
File Size: | 13 kb |
File Type: | docx |
THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
"I cannot adequately explain my disgust with their [Active Duty's] clearly unfounded and unsupportable 'answers' – as disingenuous as anything I've seen in over 30 years of service to our country...." – A Senior National Guard Officer.
Download "The Emperor's New Clothes" to read the rebuttal to the Active Duty's defense of their plan:
the_emperors_new_clothes.docx | |
File Size: | 16 kb |
File Type: | docx |
A BOLDER SHIFT
Read this White Paper titled "A Bolder Shift: Rebalancing Force Structure for the Realities of the Times."
a_bolder_shift.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Consider this... an alternative course of action from an anonymous Active Duty source. Is the Army willing to compromise?
a_cost_effective_alternative_coa_v1.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Active Duty Army needs to be more transparent – there is a lot of money unaccounted for. And some of that was specifically set aside for Guard aviation. For specific questions about this, go to the Questions tab or click the button below: