Description of policy currently under force - Essay Example

Of Policy Currently Under Force The United s National Guards are a part of the United s reserve military force. Used both by the United States air force and the armed forces, the United States National Guards are federally controlled units of the state authorities under title ten and thirty two of the United States code. The primary main function of the National Guards is to aid the armed forces during emergency and support the state government during war. Mobilized through the means of either the president order or the governor's consent, the National Guards require voluntary transfers or temporary duty assignments to get in action. According to the current policy, the National Guards are to act as a first line defense for the United States. The force is divided into small units which are spread across the length and breadth of each of the fifty states and are governed by their territorial governors. The current policy also states that in case of an emergency such as a hurricane, flood or an earth quake, the National Guards may be pressed into active service after getting a nod from the territorial governors. National Guards can also be commissioned into active or inactive services in the federally recognized armed forces if the need rises. For this, it is imperative that the authorities get a nod from the state governors. Likewise, the National Guards may be called up to assist the Federal services to suppress invasions, rebellion or to repel a proposed armed invasion of a foreign country. Likewise, in the case of any danger against the Federal authority or the inability of the president to execute the laws of the United States with the aid of the current armed forces, the federal laws require added assistance through the means of the National Guards. At present, with special regards to the war with Iraq, wherein tens of thousands of National Guards are being dispatched to the war torn country, the country is facing acute shortage in terms of both manpower as well as recourses when it comes to dealing with natural disasters. Since the year 2003, the National Guards have left sixty four thousand pieces of equipment, which include trucks and communication equipment valued over $1.2 billion in Iraq. (Pear) (Millett and Maslowski) Environments Of The Policy Currently In Force National guards comprise one half of the US ground forces and one third of the support forces. Since September 2001, over 140,000 guard members have been mobilized; of which 113,000 are one active duty. Of these over forty percent are currently deployed in the war torn Iraq and fifty one percent are involved to aid the global war on terrorism. (United States Office of the Federal Register) The Physical Factors The main physical factors which affect the origin, development and implementation of the current policy are the physical factors. The biggest setback to the National Guard came when the organization was commissioned to active service. Here, it was a complete transition from a force which was rarely deployed to a force which was always on active duty. Likewise the sudden transition of a soldier, who was earlier deployed for a short period of time to one who had to be on active duty for at least a year, led to unprecedented stress and physical discomfort. In accordance to the present operational tempo, the unparallel physical demands led to severe health problems. The need for health promotion programs to prevent soldier injuries on and off the battle field, led to the induction of new health policies (Eaglen). The problems include- 1) Lack of medical readiness program projections based on current and future assessments 2) Conditions, which are potentially preventable but affect the mission include orthopedic (56%), internal medicine (16%) and neurological disorders (8%). 3) Lack of mobilized medical units 4) Lack of enhanced medical readiness to ensure healthy and fit medical personnel. 5) Absence of medical facilities which aid in the conservation and restoration of a soldier's health and medical condition. The Economic Factors There are various economic factors which affect the origin, development and implementation of the current policy. Listed below are a few factors which require immediate attention (Eaglen) (Binkin and Kaufmann). 1) There is lack of equipment and resources. In Iraq alone, the National Guards have to make do with one third the required equipment. 2) There is a dearth of weapons, vehicles and communication gear 3) Units have just 35% of the required equipment to perform their overall duties 4) The "first to fight" policy of the US government has forced the National Guards to make do with worn out equipment. 5) Outdated radio equipment and encryption technology add to the woes. 6) Units returning from Iraq have left behind valuable equipment leading to a shortfall. 7) There is urgent need for a $21 billion aid to restructure the National Guards. 8) The sectors which are in need for immediate attention include civil support staff, maintenance, aviation, engineering, medical, transportations, communications, security and logistics. The Political Factors Listed below are the major political factors which affect the overall functionality of the National Guards. (Eaglen) 1) The deployment of National Guards without adequate training in areas wherein weapons of mass destruction seem threatening 2) Use of National Guards to counter Islamist terrorists and other extremists 3) The need for National Guards to deal with natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and endemic diseases. 4) The need for National Guards to create a safe heaven by neutralizing ethnic, tribal and regional conflicts. Effectiveness and Efficiency of The Current Policy The current policy is quite effective as it has been formulated through the means of an expert panel. The ongoing problems, with special regards to the above mentioned economic, political and social factors, has forced the policy decision makers to seek alternatives and improvise their existing framework through the means of justified reforms. The effectiveness of the current policy was given a shot in the arm when the Iraq invasion led to the deployment of numerous National Guard personnel and this in turn led to the shortage in both supplies as well as manpower. Although the actions taken by the National Guards in dealing with hurricane Katrina and similar disasters has displayed the courage and efficiency of the armed forces in performing their duties under pressure, it has also affected the physical and mental health of the deployed personnel. Likewise, in accordance to the available recourses, the National Guards have performed to the best of their ability. The proposed Policy Alternatives 1) Improve the ability of the National Guards and reserves to improvise the overall security measures. 2) To improve the nation's return on investment on its military front 3) Create an operational reserve force which can rapidly integrate with active components in accordance to the Goldwater-Nicholas Act. 4) To create a force which is ready, capable, prepared for oversea rotations. It also needs to be responsive to homeland emergencies and ready to face surging needs. 5) To create a reserve component which is sustainable, affordable and reinforced with high quality personnel 6) The per capita annual cost of active duty manpower has gone up from $96,000 to $1, 26,000 since the year 2001. 7) The overall expenditure to reinforce the National Guards would involve an expense of $21 billion. 8) An average state with 5500 National Guards would involve an expense of $550,000. 9) The overall health budged for the current fiscal year was $36 billion, which is expected to increase up to $50 billion. Summary Comparison Of Policy Alternatives Although we have discussed numerous policy alternatives, with special regards to the National Guards, it has yet to be seen that the overall functionality of these reserve forces is bound to improve or not. Well, there have been numerous reform decisions, with special regards to the armed forces but the result is yet to be ascertained. With regards to improvising the existing laws, the need for a major overhaul would require a major constitutional change. Works Cited Binkin, Martin and William W. Kaufmann. U.S. Army Guard and Reserve: Rhetoric, Realities, Risks. Brookings Institution Press, 1989. Eaglen, Mackenzie. Equipping the Army National Guard for the 21st Century. 13 November 2006. 7 November 2008 . Millett, Allan Reed and Peter Maslowski. For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States of America. Free Press, 1984. Pear, Robert. Bush Policies Are Weakening National Guard, Governors Say . 27 February 2006. 7 November 2008 . United States Office of the Federal Register. Code of Federal Regulations: Containing a Codification of Documents of General Applicability and Future Effect as of December 31, 1948, with Ancillaries and Index. Washington: Division of the Federal Register, 1983. Read More