One of the main arguments in favor of the War in Iraq is that we need to fight terrorists over there so we are safe back at home. This week proves the fallacy of such an argument on two fronts. The terrorists are still here. Thankfully, law enforcement did its job and they were caught in time. Then came the heated discussion over National Guard preparedness.
Kansas Gov. Sebelius took the President to task over the slow and limited response to the deadly tornado. Now two wildfires in California have prompted legitimate fears that it could happen here too. Our National Guard is stretched to the limit and only has half of the equipment it needs. We are missing about $1 billion worth of trucks, generators, GPS units and other crucial equipment for disaster response. If we get a major disaster we will be in real trouble.
In California, half of the equipment the National Guard needs is not in the state, either because it is deployed in Iraq or other parts of the world or because it hasn’t been funded, according to Lt. Col. John Siepmann. While the Guard is in good shape to handle small-scale incidents, “our concern is a catastrophic event,” he said.
“You would see a less effective response (to a major incident),” he said.
The drought this year has increased the risk of fire, something that became very apparent when Griffith Park and Catalina caught on fire. We are due for another major Bay Area earthquake any time now. It is not a question of if, but when the next one will strike. We are gambling that it will not happen while the Guard is under-equipped.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also acknowledged the National Guard’s equipment woes and attributed them to the war. National Guard policy has required that much of the equipment that goes with units to Iraq stays there.
“A lot of equipment has gone to Iraq, and it doesn’t come back when the troops come back,” Schwarzenegger said Thursday at a news conference in Sacramento, where he was asked about the National Guard. “So this is one thing we have been talking about, how do we get this equipment back as quickly as possible in case we need it, and we also need it for training.”
It’s not like Arnold has not known the problem existed before this week. This should have been addressed a long time ago, when we first started sending the Guard overseas. But no, it takes until we are on the precipice of a crisis for them to get their rears in gear. The amount of missing gear is tremendous. Lives could be lost because of their absence, in the event of a serious emergency.
The California National Guard is missing about $1 billion worth of equipment of all types, according to a Guard listing provided to The Chronicle. Much of the equipment would be useful in handling events like electricity blackouts, earthquakes or other emergencies.
For example, guidelines suggest the Guard should have 39 diesel generators on hand, but it has none. Guidelines suggest having 1,410 of a certain type of Global Positioning Satellite device; the Guard has none of those.
Some of the equipment is in Iraq, Afghanistan or other parts of the world — 209 vehicles, including 110 humvees and 63 military trucks that could be used to transport troops or supplies, are out of the state. The Guard has only 62 percent of the vehicles it believes it needs in California.
Other equipment has not been funded by the federal government, which provides virtually all of the National Guard’s budget.
Gear is getting worn down quickly in Iraq and they have been cannibalizing stocks at home to make up for it, making the situation even worse. They cannot magically make the gear appear. Replacing it will take time, especially the heavy vehicles. Generators and GPS units should come quicker. That is, if Schwarzenegger can get Bush to do something about the situation. I am not holding my breath.
