U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today questioned General Peter Schoomaker, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, about the over-reliance of the National Guard and Reserves in ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
General Schoomaker testified during today’s committee hearing that 55 percent of the United States’ total military force is now comprised of Guard and Reserve members. Senator Collins, who has previously expressed concern with the demand being placed on our National Guard and Reserve Members and their families, urged the Committee to take a closer look this issue.
“The recurring mobilizations of National Guard and Reserve units indicate a troubling over?reliance on our nation’s citizen?soldiers in ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Acting Secretary of the Army Geren and Army Chief of Staff General Schoomaker both testified that the Army now adheres to a “Total Force” concept where the National Guard and Reserves are no longer Strategic reserves but are an integral part of the operation forces. The pace of operations today has already demanded a great deal from our National Guard and Reserve members, their families, and their employers, and I am deeply concerned about additional strain as a result of the President’s troop surge in Iraq. I believe the Administration is asking too much of our National Guard and Reserve units.”
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