Subject: STATEMENT: Senator Clinton on National Guard and Reserve Readiness
From: "Clinton, Press Office (Clinton)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 19:16:34 -0500

For Immediate Release

February 1, 2008

Contact:

Clinton Press Office 202-224-2243 or 

[email-masked]

 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON ON NATIONAL GUARD AND
RESERVE READINESS

Washington, DC - Senator Clinton made the following statement on the
report issued by the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves on
homeland defense readiness:

"As this report makes emphatically clear, our Guard and Reserves are
stretched to the breaking point, jeopardizing their ability to respond
to serious challenges at home, from major natural disasters to terrorist
strikes. It is deeply troubling that after years of prolonged
deployments and inadequate support, the vast majority of Army National
Guard units are rated 'not ready.' This has serious consequences for the
ability of our National Guard members and reservists to meet threats
overseas and also respond to homeland security challenges and disasters
here at home.

The President's troop escalation in Iraq has only exacerbated this
problem, badly overextending our military's ground forces and severely
straining the capacity of our Guard and Reserve.  

I have argued for many years that a comprehensive strategy is needed to
address the changing nature of service in the Guard and Reserve. Gone
are the days of the weekend warriors ready to lend a hand in a time of
need at home. Now our Guard and Reserve are facing long deployments
overseas. They are being relied upon as integral parts of ongoing
missions around the world, dangerously limiting their ability to meet
the needs on the home-front.  The citizen-soldiers of the Guard and
Reserve represent the best of our nation. They have risen to meet every
challenge under difficult circumstances. They deserve support and
leadership worthy of their noble sacrifices. We must make it a national
priority to restore the readiness of our National Guard and Reserves, to
recognize and respond to the changing demands we are placing on them,
and to ensure that they are fully trained and equipped to successfully
execute both their national security and homeland defense missions."

 

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