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Reserve Forces: Army National Guard's Role, Organization, and Equipment Need to be Reexamined

GAO-06-170T Published: Oct 20, 2005. Publicly Released: Oct 20, 2005.
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Highlights

Since September 2001, the National Guard has experienced the largest activation of its members since World War II. Currently, over 30 percent of the Army forces now in Iraq are Army National Guard members, and Guard forces have also carried out various homeland security and large-scale disaster response roles. However, continued heavy use of the Guard forces has raised concerns about whether it can successfully perform and sustain both missions over time. In the short term, the National Guard is seeking additional funding for emergency equipment. GAO was asked to comment on (1) the changing role of the Army National Guard, (2) whether the Army National Guard has the equipment it needs to sustain federal and state missions, and (3) the extent to which DOD has strategies and plans to improve the Army National Guard's business model for the future.

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Agency missionsArmed forces abroadArmy personnelCivil supportCombat readinessDefense capabilitiesEquipment inventoriesHomeland securityMilitary inventoriesMilitary operationsNational GuardPerformance measuresStrategic planning