Virginia National Guard worried about budget cuts impact

Following the announcement last week by the Secretary of Defense, outlining proposed U.S. Military budget cuts, Virginia National Guard soldiers at the local level are worried about the impact of their own budget cuts, and increased reliance on reservists proposed at the federal level.

Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno, the Army's top officer, says Pentagon cuts of 80,000 soldiers will force the military to rely more on National Guard and Reserves - particularly if the U.S. wages two major, long-term combat operations at the same time.  Gen. Odierno says he's comfortable with the mandate to drop from 570,000 soldiers at the height of the Iraq war to 490,000 by 2017.  He says the U.S. will have to keep reserve forces at a higher level of readiness than before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

"This is the best trained, best equipped National Guard I have seen in nearly five decades of military service," said Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long, Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia.  "I think it is great that the Army Chief of Staff talked about how important the role of the National Guard and Reserves will be in the future."

But the Guard is already dealing with a loss of money from the government.

"We're already seeing budget cuts, what we call our operational tempo budget" says Lieutenant Colonel Allan Carter, the 1-116th Infantry Battalion Commander. 

The Lynchburg based unit has seen only 10 to 15 percent of the money it expected for operational expenses.

"It got cut in half, and it got cut in half again" said Lt. Col. Carter. 

The National Guard plays an important role in statewide disaster response like wildfires and giant snowfalls.  The soldiers and airmen also supported the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

"After ten years of war together, they [U.S. military] have learned it takes us a little longer to get ready, but we can be just as effective" Lt. Col. Carter noted. 

But Gen. Odierno's comments are raising some questions in Virginia.

"We have made tremendous progress in the last ten years in becoming an operational force, and we don't want to go back to just being a strategic reserve," said Maj. Gen. Long.  "It is my job, along with all the leaders in the Virginia National Guard, to make sure we maintain high expectations and do all we can to make the most of the experience our soldiers and airmen have gained during their multiple deployments, and grow the next generations of leaders.  We need to be conscious of our evolving role in homeland security and homeland defense, because I think the Guard will play a huge role in those missions." 

That includes staying up on training.

"If there's no training, what's the point?  The training leads to the call up, and that's what we live for," said Sergeant First Class Francisco Davilla, the assistant operations NCO for the 1-116th.

Since September 11, 2001, 14,000 Virginia National Guard soldiers and airmen have been deployed on federal active duty.  Because of their frequent deployments, old equipment was replaced with new equipment.

"Something breaks, you get it replaced.  You're in combat operations.  But now you've got to take care of what you got, and if you break it, you might not get it replaced," Lt. Col. Carter pointed out.

In the end, it comes down to a simple idea.

"Budget your money really well.  You don't have the space you had a couple years ago to move left and right.  You really have to stay on target," noted Sgt. 1st Class Davilla. 

"We realize resources are going to be a challenge for everyone in the future, but I hope that senior civilian leaders at the state and national level will continue to invest in the Guard, said Maj. Gen. Long.   "Because we can provide a force that will be ready, reliable, and rapid responding at a fraction of the cost of active duty forces."