The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

July 18, 2008

Rockefeller applauds Pentagon over Guard leader’s promotion

Mannix Porterfield

Elevating the chief of the National Guard Bureau to first-ever four-star general status and appointing the first guardsman to oversee security in North America drew praise this week from Sen. Jay Rockefeller.

Rockefeller advised Defense Secretary Robert Gates that the two moves, consistent with legislation he helped craft a year ago, are “landmark steps” in defending America’s interests.

Within the past year, the senator noted, all but 1,800 of the nearly 6,800 troops assigned to the West Virginia Army and Air National Guard have been in Iraq, Afghani-stan and other foreign duties.

West Virginia’s reputation within the Guard family nationally is one of envy.

Ranked first in readiness for several years running, the state Guard has sent troops to as many as 26 foreign countries while helping protect the border with Mexico, according to an update provided late last fall by the adjutant, Gen. Allen Tackett.

Even in a nation divided by the Iraqi conflict, Tackett advised a legislative panel in an interims session that morale remains high, evidenced by the Army Guard’s strength of 122 percent — a gain of 14 percent points since the 9/11 attack.

“We’re extremely prepared and ready,” the general had assured state lawmakers.

As of Friday, the Army Guard’s readiness stood at 119.65 percent. Overall, there are 6,756 members of the Guard, with 4,458 of them in the Army.

Rockefeller, a Democrat, said the National Guard not only serves overseas in times of warfare, but must contend with natural disasters, such as frequent episodes of flooding in his home state of West Virginia.

“The Guard is a critical — and unique — component of the U.S. military, and it obviously should have the leadership status and the influence at the Pentagon to reflect that fact,” he said.

Before the year is out, Rockefeller noted, another 1,000 troops will be sent from West Virginia to the hot spots of Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We just returned two large contingents of engineers from Iraq,” retired Lt. Col. Mike Pitzer of the Guard’s public affairs office in Charleston said Friday.

“The majority of who we had overseas just returned. Those numbers will be different, come January.”

Just how many West Virginia troops were still in combat zones in the Middle East was not known.

Rockefeller is also helping to sponsor a third proposal — this one designed to make the National Guard Bureau chief a full member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The legislation is yet to be put to a vote in the Senate.

— E-mail: mannix@

register-herald.com

Text Only
Local News
AP Video
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium 50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com