Now if the thesis of this bill is that we all need National Guard units within a couple hours' drive (gotta include time to get the soldiers together, haul gear out of the armory, etc.) for quick response to emergencies, then o.k., let's have that conversation.
Leaders in Lemmon, where the National Guard plans to close an armory, do nod toward that argument. Their primary concern, however, appears to be money:
"The arguments the governor made to keep Ellsworth (Air Force Base) open are the same arguments we're making to keep the Guard in Lemmon," said Mike Schweitzer, KBJM-AM owner and a Perkins County commissioner.
Not having the Guard unit based in Lemmon will hurt the town's economy just as it's been on an upswing, in part because of young people moving back, town leaders said.
"I think Lemmon has turned the corner," said Shane Penfield, city attorney and Perkins County state's attorney, who moved his family from Rapid City.
"We're not going to ignore the fact that we've got a demographic issue," he said. "But help us" [Carson Walker, "Lemmon Leaders Trying to Reverse Armory Closure," AP via Rapid City Journal, 2009.02.06].
Even conservative Lemmon loves government when it brings money to town (as does Governor Rounds).
Problem is, the National Guard says moving the 842nd Engineer Company from Lemmon to the Black Hills actually improves its readiness:
"By consolidating our units to geographically centralized locations versus having them out in these smaller towns, the National Guard leaders are going to be able to maximize resources and training capabilities," said Maj. Brendan Murphy, Guard spokesman.
"And this is going to help the National Guard remain ready in both crisis or disasters. Another thing, too, is it really makes better use of the taxpayer dollars" [Walker, 2009.02.06].
Beware the military-industrial complex, President Eisenhower said. Base your economy on military spending, and you end up muddling your missions. The National Guard exists to protect citizens from natural disasters, Cuban paratroopers, and other perils. If Lemmon can make the argument that they need a Guard presence to keep them safe (from what, civil disorder at Boss Cowman Days?), then move those engineers back to the Lemmon armory. But if the best argument Lemmon boosters can make is that they need the money, well, that's just not the Guard's mission.
I think Representative Lange has his name on a lot of bills that shouldn't exist this year.
ReplyDeleteMost of them, his own.
Just like everything else: you can save money through consolidation of services.
ReplyDelete"Now if the thesis of this bill is that we all need National Guard units within a couple hours' drive (gotta include time to get the soldiers together, haul gear out of the armory, etc.) for quick response to emergencies, then o.k., let's have that conversation."
ReplyDeleteAs a former member of the Lemmon unit, I can tell you that your above thesis doesn't fly, either. When I belonged there, we started drill on Saturday at 12:30 because of the distances the members lived away from the unit. In a true emergency, we always assumed that it would be more like 8-12 hours to react to something by the time we notified people, got them there, etc.
Don't know the whole plan, if there is one, have only heard the Lemmon piece. But a strong case should be made for a regional template, foot hold of guard units. (This doesn't mean an armory every 30 miles, east river dudes.) Regional presence gives a foundation, ready infrastructure of an organized, able-bodied group with useful equipment to nearly immediately act as first responders. It could be silly to expect such first / near immediate support to a crippling blizzard, tornado, or prairie fire to waddle up from Rapid City.
ReplyDelete