State control of troops essential, state Guard leaders say

State National Guard leaders are poised to carry out the Bush administration's border-security plan to deploy thousands of troops to patrol the Mexican border, but they likely will fight any attempts to place the state-run units under the president's control.

Maintaining state control over Guard units allows governors to manage the strain on the force and determine which troops and equipment to send -- and for how long, Maj. Gen. Roger Lempke, president of the Adjutant Generals Association of the United States, said in an interview Monday.

"It gives us more flexibility in how we rotate them . . . the length of time, the training," said Lempke, who also serves as Nebraska's Guard chief. "We can tailor packages, if you will, to better meet the needs of the states where they'll be."

Historically, governors have maintained control of the National Guard during domestic deployments. Although there were indications the border security plan would not require the Guard to be brought under federal control, the administration tried -- and failed -- to federalize Guard units deployed to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina last year.

Moves to deploy the National Guard to the border "just underscores again how operational our Guard and reserves are," said Arnold Punaro, chairman of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, which is studying the Guard's future missions and requirements. Noting that these troops are no longer regarded merely as reinforcements, Punaro said, "They're an operational force, not a strategic force."

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., who praised Bush's plan to deploy Guard troops, said he would hold a committee hearing "at the earliest possible opportunity" to review details of the Bush proposal.

Both Lempke and Punaro spoke before Bush's televised address Monday night, reacting to news accounts of his plans for a larger military presence along the Mexican border to stanch the flow of illegal immigrants coming into the United States. The troops, barred by federal law from performing domestic law enforcement duties, are expected to play support roles to U.S. border patrol agents.

"If there is a need for the nation to support this for homeland security, then obviously we'll be ready with forces," Lempke said.

The mission might exacerbate equipment shortages many Guard units face after year-long tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Lempke acknowledged, adding that the impact would depend on the Guard's role on the border. "It's a consideration," Lempke said. "It's not . . . like we're flush with equipment."

Lempke, who has battled the Pentagon in the last year for not consulting the National Guard on base-closure recommendations and proposed fiscal 2007 personnel cuts, said neither he nor the other adjutant generals were heavily involved in the preparation of the administration's border security plan. With Monday night's official announcement, Lemke expressed hope "we'll be included and [become] part of this process."

He and other Guard supporters emphasized that the border security plan demonstrates the need for greater National Guard involvement in Defense Department decision-making.

"This does highlight the need for a greater voice for the Guard at DOD levels," Lempke said. "We need that visibility . . . so we can more accurately assess our capabilities and plans."

Legislation is making its way through both chambers that would dramatically alter the leadership of the Guard by promoting the National Guard Bureau chief to a four-star general and adding the chief to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The bill is picking up traction among several high-profile Republicans, with co-sponsors including House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., and Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

"As we assign more responsibility to the Guard there needs to be a commensurate acknowledgement that they deserve and be given a seat at the decision-making table at the highest echelons," said Sen. Christopher (Kit) Bond, R-Mo., the bill's sponsor and the co-chairman of the Senate National Guard Caucus.

The National Guard and Reserve commission is now studying the issue, with a preliminary report expected on Capitol Hill next month. A final report is due to Congress next year.