Since Sept. 2001, the Army Nat. Guard (ANG) has experienced the largest activation of its members since WW2. In 2005, over 30% of the Army forces in Iraq were ANG members, and Guard forces have also carried out various homeland security and large-scale disaster response roles. However, continued heavy use of the ANG forces has raised concerns about whether it can perform and sustain both missions over time. In the short term, the ANG is seeking additional funding for emergency equip. This testimony discusses: (1) the changing role of the ANG; (2) whether the ANG has the equip. it needs to sustain fed. and state missions; and (3) the extent to which DoD has strategies and plans to improve the ANG¿s business model for the future.

GAO-06-170T Reserve Forces: Army National Guard's Role, Organization, and Equipment Need to be Reexamined

Why GAO Did This Study Highlights Accountability IntegrityReliability January 2007 RESERVE FORCES Actions Needed to Identify National Guard Domestic Equipment Requirements and Readiness Highlights of GAO-07-60, a report to the Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on National Security and International Relations, House of Representatives The high use of the National Guard for federal overseas missions has reduced equipment available for its state-led domestic missions, at the same time it faces an expanded array of threats at home. The massive state-led, federally funded response to Hurricane Katrina illustrates the Guard's important role in responding to the effects of large-scale, multistate events as well as the difficulty of working with multiple state and federal agencies. To address congressional interest in the Guard's domestic preparedness, GAO assessed the extent to which (1) the Guard's domestic equipment requirements have been identified, (2) the Department of Defense (DOD) measures and reports to Congress the equipment readiness of non-deployed Guard forces for domestic missions, and (3) DOD actions address the Guard's domestic equipping challenges. GAO examined the National Guard's plans and equipment status and included case studies in California, Florida, New Jersey, and West Virginia.