1、Order Code RS22451Updated May 1, 2008National Guard Personnel and Deployments:Fact SheetMichael Waterhouse and JoAnne OBryantInformation Research SpecialistsKnowledge Services GroupSummaryThe National Guard plays a major role in the defense and security of the UnitedStates under the federal componen
2、t of its mission. Due in part to the military reservecomponents increasing responsibilities and duties since 2001, a January 2008 reportby the congressionally chartered independent Commission on the National Guard andReserves has found that the U.S. militarys lack of “sufficiently trained, ready for
3、cesavailable” to respond to possible domestic attacks “is an appalling gap that places thenation and its citizens at greater risk.” The report estimated that fewer than 88% ofArmy National Guard units are “combat-ready.” The large deployment of NationalGuard personnel (currently more than 28,000) an
4、d equipment deployed in what the BushAdministration terms the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT) and Operation IraqiFreedom (OIF) factors heavily into this situation, according to the report. Additionally,as of April 10, 2008, 2,887 National Guard forces were deployed to the southern borderregion of the