National Guard to receive military makeover

A congressional commission determined last Thursday that the U.S. National Guard and Reserves necesitates a military makeover. After an extensive review of the current National Guard's standing, as an important defensive force, the commission saw fit the need for better training and equipment in order to achieve the Nation's standards for military excellence. The Commission on National Guard and Reserves issued a 448-page report that lists their findings, as well as recommendations and a suggested solution to revive the currently sluggish Reserves. Commission officials see the need to move the National Guard and Reserves from the old "strategic" backup force to a fully "operational" force that is integrated in the active duty military. "The old model of the Guard as a strategic force was no longer sustainable. Something had to change," Gen. Rodriguez said. "Creation of the Guard as a reserve force, trained and equipped to serve missions overseas and home, is the new reality. But it comes at a price. We think it's a good investment." The major problem here is that the National Guard and Reserves are short on troops, as well as undertrained and underequipped. The commission urges Congress and the Defense Department to enact long-term changes to laws and regulations in order to benefit military personnel and gain the proper funding for the desired troops, as well as an equipment increase. Whether good or bad, the act of changing the status of the National Guard and Reserves is an important issue because it will change the entire military operation and the country as a whole. We can only hope that Congress will take the proper and necessary measures in order to ensure the welfare of the people of the Unites States.