Minding the Guard

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) today called on Defense Department leaders to consider the equipment needs of the National Guard during the drawdown of forces in Iraq.

Current Defense Department plans envision a portion of U.S. gear being left behind and/or given to the Iraqi government when American troops begin leaving the country in large numbers next year.

"If it makes sense, some of that equipment should return to the U.S. to fill the stocks of our National Guard units" so these units are capable of responding to domestic disaster, Skelton said in a statement.

In a letter to National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Craig McKinley, Skelton asked for "information about any current shortage of equipment, caused by ongoing operations, which would slow the response to any significant natural disaster."

The assessment comes in the wake of a request by the Pentagon to not only leave worn-out excess gear behind, but also $750 million worth of equipment that would additionally be given to the Iraqi government.

As we noted in this story today, Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS) this week pitched the idea of crafting an inventory list of no-longer-needed DOD equipment, from which states and local communities could order items they deem useful for their disaster preparedness efforts.