Military unready for homeland attack, says study

[frogger]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. military isn't ready for a catastrophic attack on the country, and National Guard forces don't have the equipment or training they need for the job, according to a report.

Even fewer Army National Guard units are combat-ready today than were nearly a year ago when the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves determined that 88 percent of the units were not prepared for the fight, the panel says in a new report released Thursday.

The independent commission is charged by Congress to recommend changes in law and policy concerning the Guard and Reserves.

The commission's 400-page report concludes that the nation "does not have sufficient trained, ready forces available" to respond to a chemical, biological or nuclear weapons incident, "an appalling gap that places the nation and its citizens at greater risk."

"Right now we don't have the forces we need, we don't have them trained, we don't have the equipment," commission Chairman Arnold Punaro said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Even though there is a lot going on in this area, we need to do a lot more. ... There's a lot of things in the pipeline, but in the world we live in -- you're either ready or you're not."

In response, Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, chief of U.S. Northern command, said the Pentagon is putting together a specialized military team that would be designed to respond to such catastrophic events.

"The capability for the Defense Department to respond to a chemical, biological event exists now," Renuart told the AP. "It, today, is not as robust as we would like because of the demand on the forces that we've placed across the country. ... I can do it today. It would be harder on the (military) services, but I could respond."

Over the next year, Renuart said, specific active duty, Guard and Reserve units will be trained, equipped and assigned to a three-tiered response force totaling about 4,000 troops. There would be a few hundred first responders, who would be followed by a second wave of about 1,200 troops that would include medical and logistics forces.

The third wave, with the remainder of that initial 4,000 troops, would include aircraft units, engineers, and other support forces, depending on the type of incident.

Punaro, a retired Marine Corps major general, had sharp criticism for Northern Command, saying that commanders there have made little progress developing detailed response plans for attacks against the homeland.

"NorthCom has got to get religion in this area," said Punaro. He said the military needs to avoid "pickup game" type responses, such as the much-criticized federal reaction to Hurricane Katrina, and put in place the kind of detailed plans that exist for virtually any international crisis.

He also underscored the commission's main finding: the Pentagon must move toward making the National Guard and Reserves an integral part of the U.S. military.

The panel, in its No. 1 recommendation, said the Defense Department 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.

Pointing to the continued strain on the military, as it fights wars on two fronts, the panel said the U.S. has "no reasonable alternative" other than to continue to rely heavily on the reserves to supplement the active duty forces both at home and abroad.

Using reserves as a permanent, ready force, the commission argued, is a much more cost effective way to supplement the military since they are about 70 percent cheaper than active duty troops.

Asked how much it would cost to implement the panel's recommendations, Punaro said it will take billions to fully equip the Guard. The commission is going to ask the Congressional Budget Office to do a cost analysis, he said.

While noting that equipment for the reserves has increased in recent years, the report details a shortfall of about $48 billion for equipment as of 2007. And in a detailed map, it shows that in more than half the states, Army Guard units have less than 50 percent of the equipment they need.

Overall, the panel made 95 separate recommendations, including many personnel, pay, benefits, promotional and other policy changes. The majority, commission members said Thursday, could be implemented immediately or in quick fashion after congressional action. But other more substantive overhauls, Punaro said, could take years.

In perhaps its most controversial recommendation, the panel again said that the nation's governors should be given the authority to direct active-duty troops responding to an emergency in their states. That recommendation, when it first surfaced last year, was rebuffed by the military and quickly rejected by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

"I believe we're going to wear him down," said Punaro.

Renuart, however, said he believes it is unlikely that Gates will reverse himself. Renuart said he's talked to a number of state leaders on the matter, and most don't want full command of active duty troops -- to include their care, feeding, discipline and logistics demands. Instead, he said, governors want to know that in a crisis, their needs will be met. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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This is disturbing.

[Joeaksa]

Are you thinking that this is something new or news?

[Rikao4]

So we should be ready by 2020 ..give or take a day.

Rika

[Shaun @ Tru6]

January 17, 1961
Eisenhower warns of the "military-industrial complex"

In his farewell address to the nation, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warns the American people to keep a careful eye on what he calls the "military-industrial complex" that has developed in the post-World War II years.

A fiscal conservative, Eisenhower had been concerned about the growing size and cost of the American defense establishment since he became president in 1953. In his last presidential address to the American people, he expressed those concerns in terms that frankly shocked some of his listeners.

Eisenhower began by describing the changing nature of the American defense establishment since World War II. No longer could the U.S. afford the "emergency improvisation" that characterized its preparations for war against Germany and Japan. Instead, the United States was "compelled to create a permanent armaments industry" and a huge military force. He admitted that the Cold War made clear the "imperative need for this development," but he was gravely concerned about "the acquisition of unwarranted influence...by the military-industrial complex." In particular, he asked the American people to guard against the "danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite."

Eisenhower's blunt language stunned some of his supporters. They believed that the man who led the country to victory in Europe in World War II and guided the nation through some of the darkest moments of the Cold War was too negative toward the military-industrial complex that was the backbone of America's defense. For most listeners, however, it seemed clear that Eisenhower was merely stating the obvious. World War II and the ensuing Cold War resulted in the development of a large and powerful defense establishment. Necessary though that development might be, Eisenhower warned, this new military-industrial complex could weaken or destroy the very institutions and principles it was designed to protect.

[kach22i]

Yea but we don't need to be able to defend America because the plan is to fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here.

I have no reason to cheer this report, it saddens me to no end.

[Rikao4]

you know you have a problem
order a study costing gobs of $ & time to confirm what you know
now we blame somebody
order study costing gobs $ & time on how to fix
get caught with you panties on the floor
we blame somebody
look at the 9/11 recommendations..4 yrs later..
Rika

[Mo_Gearhead]

Good God...what a straw man argument!

Do you think we are going to defeat another terrorist attack HERE, by what ... massing the Army/Marines etc. at the borders?

How did they do on 9-11?

Laughable.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Mo_Gearhead

Good God...what a straw man argument!

Do you think we are going to defeat another terrorist attack HERE, by what ... massing the Army/Marines etc. at the borders?

Laughable.

funny, but some think it'll work to keep the illegals out...

[Mo_Gearhead]

Well, the border needs two fences ...about 100 feet apart ...watch towers about 1/2 mile apart ...with anti-personnel mines between!

[frogger]

I expected the 29%ers (or whatever the Bush administration support group size is nowadays) to be in love with a report that wants to better organize/fund/equip our troops to defend the homeland. Especially since the effort was being chaired by a retired Marine Major General. The Sun's gotta be coming up in the West today.

[Seric]

I have guns, so do alot of Americans. From what I understand Japan wouldn't invade mainland United States since they knew most citizens were armed.

Bring it on! Sig Sauer and Glock are ready to dance commies!

[frogger]

Lol!

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Mo_Gearhead

Good God...what a straw man argument!

Do you think we are going to defeat another terrorist attack HERE, by what ... massing the Army/Marines etc. at the borders?

How did they do on 9-11?

Laughable.

A couple of old threads you could read though if you have the time.

Link-1:
War Games building up to 9/11/2006?

Link-2:
History Channel 9/11 special

..........or just watch this video set to rock music.

Cheney Orders NORAD To Stand Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfW3IwyXhPs

[Mo_Gearhead]

Kach...I read them when originally posted. Not sure what your point is relating to this thread?

My point is this; terrorism creeps in by stealth ... plans, schemes and operates in the dark corners of the society they infiltrate. They are mostly invisible until they STRIKE! Bigger armies, more guns/planes/tanks/rockets/equipment etc. are useless ...until you (usually, after the fact) identify and GO AFTER THEM!

What is needed is more 'stealth' on our side. Be Pro-active! Better intelligence, spies, infiltrate THEM first.

You can have the best Police force in your city ...but they usually show up too late ...and drawing circles around the bodies with chalk helps ...how?

[frogger]

This report seems to be adressing homeland protection beyond just terrorism threats. Or at least that's my view of it.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Well-known and nothing new. Very sad.

I totally agree that we are unprepared to deal with an invasion though. 11,000,000+ illegals living in our country (any of whom could be terrorists, subversives, etc.) illustrates this point quite clearly.

If 1/100 of the resources thrown at a losing battle in I-wreck was thrown at securing our own borders and kicking the illegal CRIMINALS out of our country, we'd be stronger today and give our men & women a success to feel good about.

Instead we give them empty platitudes from grandstanding politicians standing on the decks of aircraft carriers under banners reading "mission accomplished". How trite.

I really feel bad for our men/women in uniform. They give it all and this administration p!sses on them and fails at its core charge "to protect this nation from all enemies foreign and domestic" under the guise of claiming to succeed. I guess they think if you parrot a lie enough times maybe it'll become the truth.

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by Mo_Gearhead

Well, the border needs two fences ...about 100 feet apart ...watch towers about 1/2 mile apart ...with anti-personnel mines between!

Yes but the liberals feel that it would alienate the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS so we cannot allow it.

Only addition I would make is to put guard dogs between the two fences...

[frogger]

Alienating illegal aliens? Hmmm, what a concept.

[Mo_Gearhead]

Then you'll need three fences! Dogs run loose ...BOOM! Ooooops!

[tabs]

Ouuuu what shocking news that is....better stock up on assualt weapons and ammo....baby