Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) this morning unveiled his proposed legislation that would establish a commission to study the proper size and structure of the Army, while prohibiting the service from transferring or divesting any National Guard aircraft or reducing the reserve component's end strength beyond authorized levels in fiscal year 2015. Wilson hopes to attach it to the FY-15 defense authorization bill.
InsideDefense.com first broke news of Wilson's proposed legislation last week.
The draft legislation would give the commission a deadline of Feb. 1, 2016, to submit a report on the structure of the Army. Until that time, the Army would not be able to execute some aspects of its recently proposed aviation restructure plan nor would it be able to further reduce the Guard's end-strength beyond the authorized level of 350,000.
"Serious concerns have been brought to light regarding proposed changes to Army force structure, especially the proposed Army Aviation restructuring plan. This aviation restructuring plan would have a significantly negative impact on the Army National Guard aviation and the Total Army," Wilson writes in a Jan. 27 statement announcing the proposed legislation.
"Such a restructuring cannot and should not be rushed," Wilson states. "We must take our time and examine the issue to make sure that our Army and our soldiers remain the best in the world."
In December, InsideDefense.com first reported the Army was proposing a plan to restructure its aviation fleet that includes the divestiture of the entire OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter fleet and the use of AH-64 Apache helicopters to meet the service's armed aerial scout mission. All of the National Guard's Apaches would be moved to the active component, while the Guard would receive 111 L-model Black Hawks in return. The Army would divest all of its TH-67 trainer helicopters and replace them with LUH-72A Lakota helicopters -- most from the active component but some taken from the Guard.
The restructuring of aviation assets, "significantly reduces personnel, many of whom are aviation personnel with years of experience as either pilots or in aircraft maintenance," Wilson writes. "Over 6,000 of these personnel, whom the Army has invested significant time and money, will be forced out of a job and will be cut from the Army National Guard as a result of this proposal."
Wilson adds the Guard should "mirror" the active duty force and can't do so if the Army removes all AH-64s out of the reserve components, "leaving no strategic depth and reach back capability for support."
The plan also "takes over 100 of the LUH-72 Lakota, a helicopter purchased specifically for the National Guard, and transfers it to be used as the Army's new training helicopter," Wilson states. "This is not what Congress intended."
Wilson notes in his statement that the proposed legislation has the bipartisan support of 16 co-sponsors.