An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Feb. 24, 2010

Army: Guard equipment readiness still a work in progress

By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va., - Equipment readiness in the National Guard and Reserve is still a work in progress, the secretary of the Army told Senate lawmakers on Tuesday.

"We've made some successful steps," said John M. McHugh in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. "The personnel readiness ratings have improved about 4 percent this year over last. The equipment right now is at about 79 percent readiness. If you (count) substitute equipment, that raises to about 89 percent, but what that tells us is we - we have a long way to go."

Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska asked McHugh and Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the chief of staff of the Army, about the significant funding increases in the Defense Department's fiscal 2011 budget to replace aging facilities for both reserve components.

"The investment is critical, considering the Guard and Reserve personnel comprise some 51 percent of your end strength," Nelson said. "But your request for Guard and Reserve (military construction), while $1.2 billion, is less than 1 percent of your total base budget and only a fifth of your total MILCON requests."

"Certainly, if I were in a Guard or Reserve unit, I'd feel as though I wasn't getting ... what I needed, and we have to admit that," McHugh said.

Nelson said some of the Nebraska Guard's units are currently lacking adequate space to store reset and new equipment.

For example, he said, Nebraska units lack 33 acres for improved and unimproved parking to store new trucks, tractors and trailers, as well as 8,000 square feet of heated storage and 3,500 square feet of security vault storage.

McHugh said there have been "significant challenges" in operationalizing the Guard and Reserve.

"Well, that's why in taking them to an operational reserve, it has to be thorough with respect to not only equipment, but to their facilities so that the facilities management is capable of taking care of the equipment and keeping them an operational-ready reserve," Nelson said. "So that's my concern, and obviously, it's your concern as well."

"As I said, we're making progress, but it's incremental at best," said McHugh. "I would agree with you."

Nelson concluded that if progress is not made, the readiness of the Guard and Reserve will suffer.

"What we'll see happen is ... what would be fairly obvious," Nelson said. "That would be a sliding back of the … capabilities of the Guard and Reserve."

 

 

Related Articles
President Santiago Peña, the President of the Republic of Paraguay, left, presents the Order of Merit
Paraguayan President Awards Top Honor to Massachusetts National Guard General
By Senior Airman Julia Ahaesy, | April 29, 2025
ASUNCION, Paraguay – U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe, adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, has been awarded the distinguished Order of Merit “Gral Div Bernardino Caballero” in the grade of “Gran Cross”...

A U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle crew chief from the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field assists an F-15 pilot with pre-flight gear checks during exercise Sentry Aloha at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, April 15, 2025. Maintenance crews during Sentry Aloha met and exceeded the line standards given during flight operations and took on additional duties which contributed to over 20 successful familiarization flights. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Daniel Reed)
Oregon Air Guard Participates in Sentry Aloha Exercise
By Master Sgt. Daniel Reed, | April 29, 2025
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – Six F-15 Eagles and about 120 Airmen from the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore., journeyed across the Pacific Ocean to Joint Base Pearl Harbor- Hickam,...

Tech. Sgt. Megan Brasley, a deployed aircraft vehicle data operations specialist originally assigned to the 124th Maintenance Group, Idaho Air National Guard, FaceTimes with her family while deployed in support of overseas operations, April 7, 2025. As the Department of Defense celebrates the Month of the Military Child, the Idaho Air National Guard honors military children like Brasley’s sons, Ryker and Rhett, who demonstrate resilience through the challenges of military life. Programs and initiatives led by the Airman and Family Readiness Office aim to support military families year-round, recognizing the sacrifices and strength of these young heroes.
Honoring Military Children: The Resilience of Military Families
By Tech. Sgt. Mercedee Wilds, | April 29, 2025
BOISE, Idaho – April marks the Department of Defense’s annual observance of the Month of the Military Child, a time to recognize the unique challenges and enduring resilience of children of military members. With more than...