Army Hates To Take Guard Apaches, But It ‘Must Happen’: UnderSec Carson

Army Hates To Take Guard Apaches, But It ‘Must Happen’: UnderSec Carson
Army Hates To Take Guard Apaches, But It ‘Must Happen’: UnderSec Carson

WASHINGTON: This hurts us more than it hurts you. That’s the essence of the regular Army’s message to the National Guard about the Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI), a controversial cost-cutting plan that — among other things – strips the Guard of all its AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. Pain is on its way for all of…

SecDef Hagel Defends Guard Cuts To Governors

SecDef Hagel Defends Guard Cuts To Governors
SecDef Hagel Defends Guard Cuts To Governors

WASHINGTON: In the emotionally charged debate over the Army National Guard, the “don’t cut our Guard!” side has been much louder than the pro-cuts camp. That’s why it’s interesting to read this pretty low-key letter from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel defending the cuts. The simple fact it’s Hagel’s signature on the letter speaks to the…

Trust Us On Air Guard Cuts, Air Force Tells Congress

CAPITOL HILL: “Trust us.” That’s the last thing an irate Congress is ready to hear from the Air Force right now, but it’s the essence of what a three-star general told legislators today in a hearing on the administration’s hugely unpopular proposal to cut the Air National Guard. A Senate-proposed commission on the size and…

Cut American Troops Or Afghans? Governors Want Guard Jobs

WASHINGTON: State governors are complaining to Congress about Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s offer to give the Air National Guard two dozen C-130 aircraft and add back almost 1,200 jobs, saying it isn’t enough. The president’s budget originally proposed cutting 5,100 Air Guard jobs; last week, Panetta offered to restore 1,179 (by the governors’ count) and…