LEGISLATIVE ALERT #07-02: 3/26/2007

The Issue: NATIONAL GUARD EMPOWERMENT ACT OF 2007.

Immediate Action Required: Contact your members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor and support the National Guard Empowerment Act of 2007.

Department of Defense (DOD) processes leading to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) were clear examples that National Guard leaders were not “at the table” during critical strategic planning and budgetary formulation.

Empowerment legislation was introduced in the 109th Congress during the FY07 budget cycle, but ultimately the issue was referred to the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves (CNGR) with a report back date of 1 March 2007. The results of the CNGR report clearly indicate that a problem does exist and that major changes are needed to ensure National Guard readiness.

Thanks to strong support in Congress, two key pieces of legislation have again been introduced in the 110th Congress; Senator “Kit” Bond (R-MO) reintroduced an expanded version of the original legislation to the 110th Congress; S. 430 – National Guard Empowerment Act of 2007 – designed to make the National Guard a stronger and more responsible defense agency, which will improve the nation’s defense and improve the military’s ability to support civilian authorities during domestic emergencies. Representative Tom Davis (R-VA) introduced an identical bill in the House; H.R.718.

Empowering National Guard leaders is the critical first step to ensuring readiness and quality-of-life for our personnel and their families.

S.430 currently has 32 co-sponsors:
Sen. Baucus, Max [MT], Sen. Brown, Sherrod [OH], Sen. Byrd, Robert C. [WV], Sen. Cantwell, Maria [WA], Sen. Coburn, Tom [OK], Sen. Collins, Susan M. [ME], Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [CT], Sen. Durbin, Richard [IL], Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [CA], Sen. Grassley, Chuck [IA], Sen. Gregg, Judd [NH], Sen. Hagel, Chuck [NE], Sen. Harkin, Tom [IA], Sen. Johnson, Tim [SD], Sen. Kerry, John F. [MA], Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [MN], Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [LA], Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [VT], Sen. Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR], Sen. Lott, Trent [MS], Sen. Menendez, Robert [NJ], Sen. Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD], Sen. Murray, Patty [WA], Sen. Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE], Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [WV], Sen. Salazar, Ken [CO], Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [OR], Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [ME], Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [MI], Sen. Sununu, John E. [NH], Sen. Tester, Jon [MT], Sen. Wyden, Ron [OR].

H.R.718 currently has 46 co-sponsors:
Rep Alexander, Rodney [LA-5], Rep Bishop, Rob [UT-1], Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1], Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU], Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5], Rep Butterfield, G. K. [NC-1], Rep Carson, Julia [IN-7], Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14], Rep Cubin, Barbara [WY], Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4], Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10], Rep Dicks, Norman D. [WA-6], Rep Etheridge, Bob [NC-2], Rep Goode, Virgil H., Jr. [VA-5], Rep Graves, Sam [MO-6], Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17], Rep Hayes, Robin [NC-8], Rep Hurst, Stephanie [SD], Rep Hill, Baron P. [IN-9], Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17], Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12], Rep Hooley, Darlene [OR-5], Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9], Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3], Rep LaHood, Ray [IL-18] – 2/5/2007 – Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] – 3/8/2007, Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1], Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4], Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2], Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7], Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3], Rep Meehan, Martin T. [MA-5], Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8], Rep Perlmutter, Ed [CO-7], Rep Rehberg, Dennis R. [MT], Rep Ross, Mike [AR-4], Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13], Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4], Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1], Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3], Rep Taylor, Gene [MS-4], Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12], Rep Visclosky, Peter J. [IN-1], Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1], Rep Welch, Peter [VT], Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2].

If your members of Congress are on this list, take time to thank them for their support. If not, contact them using the “Write to Congress” feature found on our web site www.ngaus.org and urge them to become a co-sponsor. The future of the National Guard and possibly your unit depends on this important legislation being adopted.

TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:
By using the “Write to Congress” feature on the NGAUS Web site at NGAUS, you can IMMEDIATELY e-mail your elected representatives. A sample letter is included in our “Write to Congress” feature. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to “Write to Congress” as well. For more in-depth information and background visit our web site at www.ngaus.org. Please direct any questions concerning this issue to Pete Duffy, NGAUS Deputy Legislative Director at 202-454-5307 or via email: Pete Duffy.

One of the things I find is that my Senators do not bother with a lot of 3-party e-mails. To ensure your Senators and Congressperson receive your e-mails, copy/paste the prepared letter at NGAUS to your personal e-mail. This may be helpful at the end of day. Thank you, and have a great day.

China, Russia; Arab, Muslim states object to Darfur report

Source: CNN.

GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) — China and Russia joined with Arab and Muslim states on Friday in urging the U.N.’s human rights watchdog to ignore a report from a mission to Darfur that blamed Sudan for continuing war crimes against civilians there.

The two permanent Security Council members argued the mission, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams, last month failed to gain access to the vast western region of Sudan and had not fulfilled its mandate.

[I see. Deny access, then complain because they did not verify everything? Clever, but foolish.]

Despite warnings from Western and some African states that failure to act would undermine the credibility of the newly formed rights Human Rights Council, Muslim and Arab states and their allies backed Sudan’s line that the report had no legal basis.

“The so-called mission failed to make an onsite visit. The report cannot be considered objective … and has no legal basis,” China said in a statement to the 47-state Council, which was echoed by Russia.

After initially agreeing to the mission, the government of Sudan refused to grant visas to the five-strong team because it opposed one of the members, who it said had previously spoken of genocide in Darfur and could not be objective.

The U.N. investigators, asked by the Council in December to examine reports of massive abuse in Darfur, were forced to conduct their work from neighboring Chad and in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, headquarters of the African Union.

Observers estimate 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million driven from their homes since a revolt broke out between rebels and government-backed Arab militias four years ago in Darfur.

The Sudanese government denies responsibility for abuses and blames rebel groups that have refused to sign a peace deal.

“This report has no legal standing. This faulty report should not be discussed,” Sudan’s Justice Minister Mohamed Ali Elmardi told the Council.

Earlier, Williams had urged the Council to act on her team’s recommendations, saying: “Innocent civilians continue to suffer and die. They do not need more reports. They are pleading for protection.”

Western members of the Council supported the findings of the report, the latest international probe to point the finger at Khartoum over the violence in Darfur, and a number of African states, including Zambia, Nigeria and Senegal, joined them.

The report declared that the government had “manifestly failed to protect the population … from large-scale international crimes and has itself orchestrated and participated in these crimes.”

Rebels were also guilty of crimes against civilians.

“I urge the members of the Human Rights Council to act on the relevant recommendations … with the aim of improving the situation of human rights in Darfur,” the European Union’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana said in a statement.

It is time to dissolve the UN, and get them off our property. They no longer serve their purpose. They are NOT stopping GENOCIDE.

Soldiers bar U.N. official from Darfur refugee camp

Source: CNN.

KASSAB, Sudan (AP) — Sudanese soldiers barred the U.N. humanitarian chief on Saturday from a Darfur refugee camp whose residents have been raped and attacked by gunmen suspected of belonging to pro-government militias.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon failed, meanwhile, to persuade Egypt to push Sudan’s leader to accept a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the region.

The convoy carrying humanitarian chief John Holmes was halted at a checkpoint about a mile outside the Kassab refugee camp, and he was told he lacked the proper papers for a visit there.

“I’m frustrated, annoyed, but it’s not atypical of what happens here,” Holmes told journalists traveling with him. He said he had obtained all the necessary clearances from the government in Khartoum.

Other U.N. officials working in Darfur said that aid workers and U.N. staff members were regularly blocked from doing their work at army checkpoints, and that Sudanese authorities had recently confiscated costly satellite gear from one convoy.

The soldiers at the checkpoint briefly prevented a car carrying journalists from leaving after Holmes turned back. The journalists were allowed to leave only after the troops confiscated a videotape from a U.N. television cameraman.

The Sudanese army spokesman, Sawarmy Khaled Taat, initially said he believed there had been a mixup and that the U.N. had not obtained the proper permission for Holmes’ visit.

But later Saturday, Sudanese authorities in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, apologized, saying the incident was an individual mistake by Sudanese military intelligence personnel manning the checkpoint at Kassab, home to more than 25,000 refugees in a region under tight control of the janjaweed militia and government forces.

Holmes accepted the apology, the U.N. said.

In need of aid are some 4 million people in Darfur caught in the midst of fighting between rebels, the government and the pro-government janjaweed. More than 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced in four years of fighting, and the Arab janjaweed are accused of widespread atrocities against ethnic African civilians.

Ban, who is in Egypt on a Mideast tour, said he had asked President Hosni Mubarak during a morning meeting to press Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to accept the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Mubarak did not comply with the request.

Aboul Gheit said talks were needed between al-Bashir’s government and rebels who were not part of a peace agreement signed last year with another rebel group.

“Without getting them together in one agreement, any talks over international forces cannot be crystallized,” Aboul Gheit said.

The United Nations has failed to persuade Sudan to accept the deployment of a “hybrid” force of 22,000 U.N. and African Union troops.

Al-Bashir reneged on a November agreement to accept the UN-AU force and claimed last month that U.N. troops were not needed because the 7,000 AU troops already in Darfur can maintain order.

Egypt has a small military force with the AU in Darfur.

Christian Teacher Murdered By Muslim Students In Nigeria

March 22, 2007 4:46 p.m. EST

Ihuoma Ezeh – All Headline News

Nigeria (AHN) – A Christian teacher was attacked and killed after some high school students in Gombe, northeastern Nigeria, accused her of desecrating the Koran Wednesday, a police official said.

Oluwatoyin Olushekan was murdered by her students while conducting an Islamic Religious Knowledge exam. Authorities said the students accused her of tearing a portion of the Koran she seized from a female student during the exam.

The angry students also burned her car and set three blocks of classrooms ablaze.

Bashir Dikko, Gombe State police spokesman said their intervention had prevented the incident from turning into a bloody riot.

“The school principal, who is a Muslim sustained minor injuries as he was also beaten by the students when he tried to shield the woman from her assailants,” Dikko told the Middle Eastern Times. “We are still investigating the cause of the incident and we have embarked on a 24-hour patrol to ensure the maintenance of law and order.”

Since 1999, about 15,000 people have been killed in religious, communal and political clashes in Nigeria.

In February 2006, at least five people were killed and several churches burned down in a Christian-Muslim infuriated conflict.

Elizabeth Edwards and Her Cancer: A Controllable Disease

By Katherine Hobson.
US News & World Report

Although the breast cancer diagnosed and treated more than two years ago in Elizabeth Edwards has spread and can no longer be eradicated completely, its progression can often be managed, much as is done with other chronic diseases.

The cancer that has afflicted the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is now lodged in a right rib bone.

“I always remind my patients that diabetes is not curable and hypertension is not curable,” says Aman Buzdar, deputy chairman of the department of breast medical oncology at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who isn’t familiar with the specifics of Edwards’s case. “But we can keep those diseases under control for a long period of time.”

Edwards said at a press conference in North Carolina that she sought medical treatment for pain on her left side. That turned out to be a cracked rib she suffered while moving furniture in her new house, but the same X-ray that revealed the break also showed a suspicious spot on the opposite side of her ribcage. A bone study and other follow-up tests confirmed that there was cancer in a rib bone.

That’s clearly disappointing but not surprising. When breast cancer does escape the confines of the breast and spreads to other organs, the bone is the most common site for it to take root. Because the cancer has spread to another organ, it is automatically classified as late stage, or stage IV.

Survival will hinge on many factors, including the number of areas affected by cancer and how big the tumors are, doctors say. Edwards’s tumor is small, and a CT scan showed very little presence of the disease in soft tissues beyond the bone.

Treatment options for breast cancer that has spread to bone break down into two categories, says Harold Burstein, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. A group of drugs called bisphosphonates are used to strengthen and heal the bone. The drugs, Zometa and Aredia, are similar to drugs taken to combat osteoporosis but are more powerful and are given intravenously rather than orally.

“Doctors may also start specific treatment against the tumor,” says Burstein. That may include drugs that block estrogen, if the tumor is fueled by that hormone, or chemotherapy. (Looking to the future, a monoclonal antibody called denosumab is currently in clinical trials for use against both bone metastasis and osteoporosis.)

True, the treatments now available can only delay the progression of the cancer and alleviate symptoms; the tumor may become resistant to one treatment over time, forcing a switch to something else. But Buzdar says this can extend the life of even a late-stage cancer patient for years.

“There is hope,” he says. “A recurrence of cancer does not mean there’s no hope, and people can live a very productive, comfortable life.”

Related News
Defying Reports, John Edwards Stays In.
In-Depth Breast Cancer Information & Resources.
Video: Edwardses’ Press Conference.
Cancer Prevention Tips.
Living Beyond Cancer.
More From Politics.
More From Health.

I would just like to add my own two cents right here. I pray for Elizabeth and her family as she continues in her struggles and hopes. I pray she is well taken of by her husband, her doctors and our Lord. Hang in there, Mrs. Edwards. We are praying for your health and you…all politics aside.

Elizabeth Edwards’ metastasized breast cancer should be treatable

Experts say she could have a good quality of life for many more years with medication. (LA Times)

By Thomas H. Maugh II, Times Staff Writer.

The recurrence of Elizabeth Edwards’ breast cancer years after treatment is a serious setback, but probably one she can live with for five to 10 years, perhaps even longer, experts said Thursday.

Still, she will have to take medications for the cancer for the rest of her life.

Such recurrences are not unusual. About a third of breast cancer patients have a disease that has metastasized, or spread from the original location, typically to bones.

If the disease has spread, “we do not feel that it is curable, but it is treatable,” said Dr. Linnea Chap, a breast cancer specialist at Premier Oncology in Santa Monica, which is affiliated with St. John’s Health Center.

“We have very good treatments that can allow patients to live with breast cancer for many years with a good quality of life.”

Cancer metastases are so difficult to cure because surgery is no longer an option once the disease has spread beyond its original confined location, said Dr. Marisa Weiss, president of breastcancer.org and a cancer specialist at Lankenau Hospital in the Philadelphia area. Drugs also become less effective because the metastasized cells “get into hiding spots that the drugs can’t get into as easily.”

Experts cautioned that it was difficult to predict treatment and outcome for Edwards because the details of her tumor had not been made public.

The treatment is individualized, depending on the characteristics of a patient’s cancer. The approach can be as minimal as a pill to block estrogen, which contributes to the growth of many breast cancers. “That is taken daily and is very well tolerated,” Chap said.

If the cancer has spread more widely, her physician will probably be more aggressive, using drugs such as Xeloda — an oral drug that blocks an enzyme needed by tumors — or one of the taxane drugs, such as paclitaxel or docetaxel. Those drugs must be given intravenously, and have stronger side effects.

Either might be given in combination with Avastin, which blocks the growth of blood vessels supplying nutrients to the tumors.

The patient also is typically given monthly doses of one of the bisphosphonate drugs, such as Actonel or Fosamax. These drugs do not attack the tumor directly, but strengthen the bone, making it more resistant to fractures. They have also been shown to reduce bone pain in the metastases.

If the cancer has spread to organs other than the bones, as Edwards’ physician has hinted, then the initial therapy would be more aggressive, using the strongest of those drugs.

“If it is just in the bones, then the outlook is more favorable than for cancer that has gone to the liver,” Weiss said.

Send comments and questions to Thomas Maugh.

I would just like to add my own two cents right here. I pray for Elizabeth and her family as she continues in her struggles and hopes. I pray she is well taken of by her husband, her doctors and our Lord. Hang in there, Mrs. Edwards. We are praying for your health and you…all politics aside.

NGAUS Legislative Update: 3/23/2007

What’s Happening In Congress?
CSAF Suggests Changes that Would Potentially Weaken the Air Guard

In a letter addressed to Chairman Arnold Punaro, Commission of the National Guard and Reserves, General Michael Moseley proposed changes that would “more closely align the Air National Guard and Army National Guard with their respective Military Departments, parallel to the Reserves’ alignment but with a differing mission set.” Moseley also proposed that the “Commission investigate options to give our Governors both an Air and Army Adjutant General, who would partner to create a true joint headquarters for the Governors”.

Senator Patrick Leahy, Co-chair Senate National Guard Caucus, confronted Moseley on these suggestions at a Defense Appropriations hearing on Wednesday. Leahy told Moseley “none of these proposals will go anywhere up here”. He pointed out that Moseley’s suggestions seemed to direct the Air Guard down a path that would reshape them into a mirror of the Air Force Reserve.

Senator Leahy and his co-chair on the Senate National Guard Caucus, Senator Kit Bond, sent a letter in response to General Moseley and Secretary Michael Wynne calling for them to reexamine the suggestions made to the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves.

Co-Sponsors on National Guard Empowerment Increasing
The list of co-sponsors for both the House bill (HR 718) and the Senate bill (S 430) have been increasing in recent weeks. Below is an updated list as of March 14th. In the House of Representatives:

Sponsors: Rep Tom Davis [VA-11], Rep Alexander, Rodney [LA-5] – 3/6/2007, Rep Bishop, Rob [UT-1] – 2/15/2007, Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] – 2/27/2007, Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU] – 2/15/2007, Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] – 2/13/2007, Rep Butterfield, G. K. [NC-1] – 1/30/2007, Rep Carson, Julia [IN-7] – 3/8/2007, Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] – 2/27/2007, Rep Cubin, Barbara [WY] – 3/6/2007, Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] – 2/5/2007, Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10] – 2/5/2007, Rep Dicks, Norman D. [WA-6] – 2/5/2007, Rep Etheridge, Bob [NC-2] – 2/5/2007, Rep Goode, Virgil H., Jr. [VA-5] – 2/5/2007, Rep Graves, Sam [MO-6] – 3/8/2007, Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] – 3/8/2007, Rep Hayes, Robin [NC-8] – 1/30/2007, Rep Herseth, Stephanie [SD] – 2/13/2007, Rep Hill, Baron P. [IN-9] – 3/14/2007, Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] – 2/5/2007, Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] – 2/13/2007, Rep Hooley, Darlene [OR-5] – 2/15/2007, Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] – 2/5/2007, Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] – 3/8/2007, Rep LaHood, Ray [IL-18] – 2/5/2007, Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] – 3/8/2007, Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1] – 2/13/2007, Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] – 2/13/2007, Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] – 2/5/2007, Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] – 2/5/2007, Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] – 2/5/2007, Rep Meehan, Martin T. [MA-5] – 2/15/2007, Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] – 2/5/2007, Rep Perlmutter, Ed [CO-7] – 3/8/2007, Rep Rehberg, Dennis R. [MT] – 2/13/2007, Rep Ross, Mike [AR-4] – 2/13/2007, Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] – 2/13/2007, Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] – 2/13/2007, Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] – 3/8/2007, Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] – 3/14/2007, Rep Taylor, Gene [MS-4] – 1/30/2007, Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12] – 2/27/2007, Rep Visclosky, Peter J. [IN-1] – 3/8/2007, Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] – 2/5/2007, Rep Welch, Peter [VT] – 2/5/2007, Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] – 3/6/2007

In the Senate:

Sponsors: Sen Christopher Bond [MO], Sen Baucus, Max [MT] – 1/31/2007, Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] – 2/6/2007, Sen Byrd, Robert C. [WV] – 2/12/2007, Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] – 2/1/2007, Sen Coburn, Tom [OK] – 3/5/2007, Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] – 2/13/2007, Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] – 3/5/2007, Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] – 2/6/2007, Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] – 3/8/2007, Sen Grassley, Chuck [IA] – 1/31/2007, Sen Gregg, Judd [NH] – 2/8/2007, Sen Hagel, Chuck [NE] – 2/8/2007, Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] – 2/6/2007, Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] – 3/7/2007, Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] – 1/31/2007, Sen Klobuchar, Amy [MN] – 3/5/2007, Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] – 2/6/2007, Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] – 1/30/2007, Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] – 2/15/2007, Sen Lott, Trent [MS] – 3/8/2007, Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] – 3/5/2007, Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] – 1/31/2007, Sen Murray, Patty [WA] – 2/12/2007, Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] – 1/30/2007, Sen Rockefeller, John D., IV [WV] – 1/31/2007, Sen Salazar, Ken [CO] – 2/1/2007, Sen Smith, Gordon H. [OR] – 2/6/2007, Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] – 1/30/2007, Sen Stabenow, Debbie [MI] – 3/9/2007, Sen Sununu, John E. [NH] – 2/12/2007, Sen Tester, Jon [MT] – 3/5/2007, Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] – 1/31/2007.

What’s Happening At NGAUS?
State Association Events in D.C.

This week NGAUS hosted the Wisconsin National Guard Association and the North Dakota State Association at the Memorial Building in Washington, D.C. North Dakota’s evening reception was attended by CSAF General Moseley, Congressman Earl Pomeroy, and a number of other general officers.

NGAUS Air Task Forces Looking at Reorganizing in the Near Future
The NGAUS air task forces will be meeting in April to discuss possible reorganization of the current three task forces: Fighter Task Force, Airlift/Tanker/Rescue Task Force, and the C3I Task Force. The Task Forces serve as subject matter experts on their specific areas. All task force participation is by volunteer only and is highly encouraged and recommended to help push priorities into the spotlight.

NGAUS Submits 5 Areas for the TRICARE Standard 2008 Survey
Each year the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) along with the TRICARE Management Activity conduct a survey on the “Civilian Physician Acceptance of New Patients Under TRICARE Standard”. The TRICARE Survey Program was formally established in response to the National Defense Authorization Act Public Law. No. 102-484, (1992). With the new TRICARE benefits for the National Guard beginning in October, the availability to find a provider is an important issue in rural areas around the country. This year, NGAUS has requested that these following areas be included in the survey locations:

Fort Dodge (and surrounding area), Iowa Ainsworth (and surrounding area), Nebraska Buffalo and Thermopolis, Wyoming Mitchell and Madris, Oregon Park Rapids and Atkin, Minnesota

Published by the NGAUS Legislative Staff:
Rich Green, Director
Pete Duffy, Deputy Director
Chris DeBatt, Army Programs
Emily Breitbach, Air Programs
Bernie Phelps, Senior Legislative Analyst

NGAUS Notes: 3/23/2007

Governors Urge Congress to Reset Guard Units
The nation’s governors sent a letter to lawmakers Monday urging them to add perhaps billions of dollars to the fiscal 2008 defense budget to replace National Guard equipment damaged or left behind in Iraq and Afghanistan. The letter, sent by the National Governors Association (NGA) to Reps. John Spratt, D-S.C., and Paul Ryan, R-Wis., House Budget Committee chairman and ranking member, specified vehicles and other equipment the Guard desperately needs for missions at home.

“Unless this equipment is replaced in a timely fashion, the ability of our Guard units to train for future military actions or respond to citizens’ needs in an emergency is greatly diminished,” the letter states. It was signed by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, NGA chairwoman, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the association’s vice chair.

Governors also urged Congress to work closely with the National Guard Bureau to identify the greatest need. In January, Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, NGB chief, told the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves that the Army and Air Guard is short nearly $40 billion worth of equipment. He also noted that 88 percent of nondeployed Army Guard units have less than half the necessary equipment for domestic crisis response.

For the first time in 35 years, General Blum added, less than 45 percent of Air Guard units have the equipment they need to deploy. The letter did not specify funding amounts, but it tells senior lawmakers that a need exists for “adequate budget authority to reequip Army and Air National Guard units returning from abroad.”

“Early Bird” Membership Deadline Next Week
NGAUS membership dues from state associations must arrive in Washington, D.C., postmarked by March 31 to qualify for the 5 percent “Early Bird” rebate. The program returns 5 percent of a state’s submitted dues to each state that meets the deadline. In order to receive the rebate, submissions must include name, rank and the home address of each member.

NGAUS also encourages inclusion of e-mail addresses, when available. The association, however, will limit e-mail contact to legislative news and alerts. According to Bonnie Carter, deputy director of NGAUS membership, dues poured into NGAUS this week because so many associations want to take advantage of the rebate.

In addition to the 5 percent discount for dues submitted by March 31, states that retain 100 percent of their membership qualify for an additional 5 percent rebate on the total amount of annual dues submitted. NGAUS must receive dues from all state associations by June 30 for priority delegate seating at this year’s general conference scheduled for Aug. 24 to 27 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. But states that wish for a rebate must mail their dues by the end of next week.

States that improve membership percentages also can receive rebates on the total amount of dues submitted. They must, however, meet certain improvement criteria. Deadline for the improvement or retention rebate is Dec. 31. Last year, NGAUS officials provided nearly $100,000 to state associations nationwide as part of the two programs.

NGAUS membership dues should be mailed to: National Guard Association of the United States, Attn.: Director of Financial Operations, P.O. Box 90491, Washington, D.C. 20090.

Air Guard Retirement Process Now Internet Accessible
Eligible Air National Guardsmen can now submit retirement applications electronically via the virtual Personnel Center-Guard and Reserve (vPC-GR). It’s the second Guard-specific capability added to the 24-hour customer service Web portal operated by the Air Reserve Personnel Center (ARPC) in Denver.

“Our ultimate goal is to improve and streamline how we deliver services to our Total Force airmen,” said Col. Ann Shippy, ARPC commander. “We’re leveraging technology and Web applications to efficiently deliver service to our customers.”

Previously, Guard airmen had to visit their local military personnel flight, complete the retirement application package, submit it to their supervisor or commander and send it to ARPC. This Web-enabled service is available at any time from anywhere in the world and will give airmen the ability to monitor the status of their application from start to finish.

Guard airmen can log on to the vPC-GR at vPC-GR to begin the process and see other Guard-specific options. All of the necessary forms are available. There is also “frequently asked questions” area specific to the Guard retirement process. When the application is submitted, the customer is e-mailed a tracking number. After the airman’s commander has electronically endorsed the application, the Reserve Personnel Contact Center at ARPC will verify eligibility and finalize the application. Once approved, the vPC-GR will send e-mail notifications to the airman and his or her commander.

Legislative Staff Seeks Analyst
NGAUS is seeking a legislative analyst to work at association headquarters in Washington. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree, be familiar with the congressional process and the military and be able to analyze Guard-related issues. The candidate must also possess strong computer skills and be familiar with Web content management software. This is an entry-level position with opportunities for advancement.

Interested candidates should submit a resume to retired Brig. Gen. Richard Green, NGAUS legislative director, via fax: 202-682-9358 or e-mail: Brig. Gen. Richard Green.

NGAUS History
On behalf of the Historical Society of the Militia and National Guard – today known as the National Guard Educational Foundation (NGEF) – Maj. Gen. Ansel M. Stroud Jr., NGAUS president, appointed Robert Wheeler of Vienna, Va., as curator of the model aircraft collection Dec. 1, 1987. Mr. Wheeler had been an active member of the International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS).

At the same time, General Stroud expressed deep admiration to Bob Sauter, the man responsible for the unique collection. Mr. Sauter set out in 1966 to help NGAUS achieve its goal: a collection to depict every type of aircraft ever flown in a Guard unit.

The ambitious goal was within a few models of completion when Mr. Sauter resigned due to ill health. The collection, housed today in a glass display at The National Guard Memorial is a joint effort involving IPMS, the NGEF and NGAUS. It is open to the public weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This Week in Guard History
March 20, 1935:
Tacoma, Wash. – Elements of Washington’s 161st Infantry and the 116th Observation Squadron, 41st Division serve on state active duty guarding railroad facilities, bridges and roads during a lumber-workers strike. These areas had been sabotaged or burned by the strikers.

Soldiers worked on a rotational basis so while 287 men served, only about 100 were on duty at any one time. This was necessary to help assure the men preserved their jobs. Many states had not yet enacted laws protecting Guard employment rights. If a man was gone too long he might return home to find his job terminated. Since World War II, however, all states have adopted some form of employment protection for Guardsmen serving in state declared emergencies.

Produced weekly by the NGAUS communications department. Comments and questions should be directed to NGAUS. NGAUS members can sign up for electronic delivery of NGAUS NOTES at NGAUS.org.

Reporter’s Notebook: Afghanistan’s House of History Restored

By David Piper

It’s just one of many bomb-damaged villas on the outskirts of Kabul. But it is, perhaps, the most important building in Afghanistan, as it houses the rich history of this war-torn country. The museum in Kabul houses what’s left of the artifacts that have survived the fighting.

I was on assignment with FOX News in Kabul in 2005 and the one place I wanted to visit was its museum.

I wasn’t really sure if there was going to be anything left as I’d seen a documentary a couple of years before that showed that the museum had been pillaged by looters over several years and had been heavily bombed.

It once held an amazing collection of artifacts as befits a country that often has been a crossroads for cultures including from Egypt, Greece, Rome and India.

Many of the priceless items that once were on display at the museum have been sent around the world by smugglers and are more likely to be found in private collections in London, New York or Tokyo.

But worse was yet to come for the museum.

The Taliban announced an edict in 2001 to destroy all pre-Islamic statues and objects in Afghanistan.

The video that was seen around the world of the Taliban blowing up the enormous Buddah statues of Bamiyan six years ago was etched in my memory as Akbar, the FOX News fixer in Afghanistan, drove me there.

He insisted, despite my concerns, that the museum was open again and, perhaps more importantly, there was something left to see inside it.

As we pulled up in the car, armed guards appeared from a roadblock outside the museum.

They checked our papers carefully before allowing us inside the building.

And I wasn’t disappointed.

Afghan and Italian experts have painstakingly put back together hundreds of priceless statues, carvings and other artifacts that had been damaged or even smashed to pieces by thieves and the Taliban.

Hardly anybody was in the museum and as a good journalist does, I looked around upstairs and opened a door or two.

In one room people were working hard to restore a number of stone statues.

It looked like the world’s most difficult jigsaw puzzles in that they didn’t know if all the pieces were there and if they all came from the same statue.

I learned later that many of the statues had been found in pieces in the storeroom of the museum, which had been ransacked many times but still gave up such priceless artifacts when the experts managed to work their way through the debris.

Others had been left in pieccs in the grounds of the museum.

When I walked outside I could see parts of what seemed to be Greek temples strewn around a lawn, some just protruding from the earth.

I met an Afghan woman who worked at the museum and insisted on showing me around, as is the culture of Afghanistan.

She showed me into a large room where the wooden animist sculptures from Nuristan now fill.

When the Taliban came here and smashed everything to bits, she said, the curator of the museum had refused to allow them to burn the remains of these wooden sculptures because he told them they had the power to break them but not the right to destroy forever the history of the Afghan people.

The Taliban decided to leave them in broken pieces and, thanks to the laborious work that has been done, these beautiful sculptures can be seen again.

This past weekend 1,400 artifacts protected from looters and the Taliban in far-off Switzerland have been returned to the Kabul museum.

News reports say one of the first items to be placed in the museum was a small Buddah statue from Bamiyan, where the Taliban had blown up the giant statues.

The Afghan authorities say the artifacts have been returned because they believe the country is now safe enough for them to be returned.

But with the ongoing fighting in Afghanistan I feel sure the well-armed guards at Kabul museum will have to remain there to protect the priceless artifacts for years to come.

NGAUS Legit: 3/16/2007

What’s Happening In Congress?
Supplemental Spending Bill Approved.

The House Appropriations Committee approved a draft supplemental spending bill on Thursday of nearly $124 billion dollars. The bill includes other Iraq War provisions as well. The panel voted to reverse the decision to close Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Another provision, which received strong opposition from Republicans, sets in motion a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by August of 2008.

Requested Military Readiness Studies.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton and Readiness Subcommittee Chairman Solomon Ortiz have requested a study from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the impact of continued U.S. troop deployments and the current condition of military equipment on military readiness.

The letter to CBO asks for consideration to study: troop numbers needed for the current operations; options for addressing previously identified readiness issues and the budgetary effects of implementing those recommendations; and a determination of a time frame needed to completely address the recognized readiness shortfalls.

The letter to the GAO is more specific to concerns over pre-positioned military stocks that ensure the military has the materials and equipment needed for rapid deployment.

Upcoming Hearings for the CNGR.
The House Armed Services Full Committee will hold a hearing next Friday, March 23rd, on the second report to Congress by the Commission of the National Guard and Reserves. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 am in 2118 Rayburn House Office Building.

What’s Happening At NGAUS?
Industrial College of the Armed Forces Visits the NGAUS Building

On Wednesday, March 14, a class of Military officers enrolled in a course called “The Reserve Component in the 21st Century” through the National Defense University visited the NGAUS Memorial Building. They received a tour of the National Guard Educational Foundation Museum and received a briefing from the Legislative Staff. The group of 15 students was lead by Colonel Christina Lafferty USAFR, the USAF Reserve Component Advisor to the President of the National Defense University.

MINDS Luncheons:
The Minuteman Institute for National Defense Studies (MINDS) in Association with the National Guard Association of the United States will be holding a luncheon and panel discussion Monday, March 19th on “The National Guard Empowerment Act”. Confirmed panelists include:

Honorable John Truesdale, Deputy Secretary of the Air Force M&RA Mackenzie Eaglen, Distinguished author/scholar, Heritage FoundationPaul Ebehardt, National Guard and Reserve Commission

Other invited panelists include:Honorable Tim Kaine, Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia Major General Roger Lempke, President AGAUS and TAG NE

This event will be held in the Hall of States in the NGAUS Memorial Building. Registration and lunch will begin at 11:30 am followed by the panel at 12:00pm.

What Can You Do?
Update on “Write To Congress” Stats.

Current numbers for messages sent this year are:
46 messages were sent this week.
2699 messages have been sent this year.
519 messages were sent on Guard Empowerment.
519 messages were sent on Guard Empowerment.
2047 messages were sent on TRICARE Fee Increases.

Top 5 States:
1. Tennessee – 266 messages
2. Missouri- 153 messages
3. Mississippi- 139 messages
4. California- 133 messages
5. Oklahoma- 119 messages

*following closely at number 6 is Iowa with 114 messages sent since Jan. 1st.Our Goal for 2007: 54,000 messages

We are 51,301 messages away from meeting our goal! Keep writing your Senators and Representatives. Also, make sure to share the “Write to Congress” tool with your friends and family.

Published by the NGAUS Legislative Staff:
Brig Gen (ret) Richard M. Green, Director
Pete Duffy, Deputy Director
Chris DeBatt, Army Programs
Emily Breitbach, Air Programs
Bernie Phelps, Senior Legislative Analyst

For more information on NGAUS, check out our website: NGAUS.