Posted on 08/23/2005 8:08:22 PM PDT by Half Vast Conspiracy
By First Coast News Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a little more than two weeks the Pentagon's Base Realignment And Closure Commission will give its recommendations to President Bush, and many communities are doing everything they can to keep their local military bases from being mothballed.
But the Governor of Pennsylvania has gone a step further -- he was in court Thursday asking a judge to side with him against the Pentagon.
The case highlights the growing tension between states and the federal government on who gives marching orders to state National Guards.
The Willow Grove Naval Air Station, outside Philadelphia, is just one of hundreds of US military facilities on the chopping block as the Pentagon tries to streamline itself for the twenty-first century. But the community is fighting back, and so are its elected leaders.
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell went to court to block the Pentagon from deactivating a wing of the state's air national guard. As Commander, Rendell says only he has the power to do that.
"These ten hundred and twenty three airmen and airwomen are commanded by me in most occasions. Ninety-percent of the time they are commanded by me as governor of this state," he said.
But the Defense Department says the list compiled by the Base Realignment And Closure Commission will make better use of taxpayer money and military manpower.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says, "There wasn't an ounce of politics in any aspect of it."
Other communities are waging similar fights, but Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst from Brookings Institute, predicts they'll lose.
"The Guard ultimately is paid for by the federal government and it's sized and structured for national security requirements, which are clearly a responsibility of the federal government in the Constitution," he said.
The Justice Department sided against the Pennsylvania governor in this case, saying it was the intention of congress to keep the Governors, and politics, out of the base closure process.
...and, that he has no idea who the people are that he claims to command. Airwomen? ;)
ping
Actually, he does.
In addition, the President of the United States can activate the National Guard for participation in federal missions. Examples of federal activations include Guard units deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo for stabilization operations and units deployed to the Middle East and other locations in the war on terrorism. When federalized, Guard units are commanded by the Combatant Commander of the theatre in which they are operating.
Maybe you can tell me where he gets his 90% figure from....and, further where gets off thinking that he can over ride the BRAC.
Without knowing more about the military laws and military requirements of Pennsylvania, I can safely say he commands the PAANG when not in federal service. Time not spent in federal training or on federal mobilizations probably comes to around 90 percent of the time his organized militia is available to him.
Who controls the National Guard and when they control the National Guard is not a new federal/state issue. Google up PERPICH, GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA, et al. v. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE et al. Gives good insight into both sides.
All the Department of Defense can do, which is a lot, is withdraw federal recognition (and all federal support) from the 111th Fighter Wing. Rummie and the bean counters could have avoid this by consulting with the govs.
Actually he's right about the chain of command for non-federalized guard. However what he doesn't seem to understand is who owns the equipment, from aircraft to vehicles to weapons to tools and typewriters (if they still have any). Hint, they all say "Property of US Government" and/or "US Air Force".
The governor has no say in when, or whether, "his" Guard forces can be federalized. This is because they are all dual hatted as state guardsmen and federal reservists.
My ID when I was in the air guard was the same one I had used earlier as a member of the Reserve and would later use again as a Reservist. DD Form 2AF(RES).
Depends upon the circumstances.
Some orders will carry some such statement as, "with the concurrence of the governor."
A governor has absolutely no say over an Air Force reserve unit or its personnel, because they are wholly a reserve of the Air Force and not state militia.
Rendell may be a corrupt clown, but it is you who does not understand the chain of command. The governor is the commander of National Guard troops except when they are
Federalized.
The Air Force is playing a game they have played for decades, in spite Total Force concept. They have always played budget games with the Air National Guard, and are always protecting their turf, fearful that a bunch of part-timers might show them up, as frequently happens.
The Air Force tried mightily to keep Air Guard fighter units out of the first Gulf War, less they show the Air Force up. One reason few Air Guard units were mobilized during Viet Nam was because the AF did not want the Guard in on their show.
The Air Force is playing a petty game of revenge on the Air Guard in the BRAC process.
Same goes for the Army side of the house(s).
He who writes the history . . .
At the beginning of World Wars I and II, the first thing the regulars did was have as many Guard officers as possible removed or reclassified.
Four or five F-100 Guard units did do full tours in Vietnam, though. That doesn't get talked about too much.
The Air Force is playing a petty game of revenge on the Air Guard in the BRAC process.
For as long as memory can remember, they've dreamed an ideal world where they only had one Air Force reserve to deal with, not fifty-four (States plus territories) militias not under their full-time control.
I'll have to stand corrected on the chain of command. But, this a$$ clown has no involvment in his "command" if he says "airwomen." Additionally, I can assure you that active duty USAF folks absolutely know that guard and reserve pilots are generally the best. Period.
As far as moving the USAF weapon systems goes, BRAC is needed. Politics should not guide where we base.
Going to court - how Clintonian of him.
Also, it's bad enough that Fast Eddie is our governor, but even scarier to think that he's the "commander" of military units.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.