Although the Army National Guard's long-term budget does not include funding for the number of soldiers it plans to have by the end of the year, the Guard has received verbal assurances from Pentagon officials that the Defense Department will pay for them, Lt. Gen. Steven Blum said today. "Right now, we are not in the Army budget to be fully funded for an end strength of 350,000, which we expect to achieve this year," Blum, the Guard chief, said...
