Military Officer - August 2006 - (Page 10)

fromthepresident Support Reservists As our nation places increasing demands on its reserve component forces, it’s time to step up to the plate — for the military as a whole, and especially for the Guard and Reserve. I n Washington these days, the term “operational reserve” is gaining traction. Administration ofﬁcials tout the transformation of the National Guard and Reserves from a Cold War “strategic reserve” to one that’s engaged in every mission, whether overseas or at home. Congress has gone along so far, but many unanswered questions remain. Last year Congress appointed a special Commission on the National Guard and Reserves to make the ﬁrst independent review of reserve component forces since just after World War II. The commission’s charter is to review current laws, policies, regulations, and practices that govern and operate the National Guard and Reserves and to recommend changes where needed. In June, the commission gave a 90-day interim report to the House and Senate Armed Services committees. Its initial ﬁndings were that America’s forces must be prepared for many fronts and for a “long war,” like the one we’re ﬁghting now. It also found that the country must recognize the increased demands on the Guard and Reserve, provide adequate training and funding, update the laws governing their use, clarify chain-of-command issues during disasters, and strengthen the relationships between state governors and DoD. Additionally, many think the National Guard should be led by a four-star general, and that that ofﬁcer should be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We welcome that healthy debate (see “FourStar Rating,” page 52). 10 MILITARY OFFICER AUGUST 2006 Our servicemembers and their families are national treasures who contribute daily to the defense of the nation. Unfortunately, though the Guard and Reserve are integrated into every operational mission, their beneﬁts haven’t kept up with the seismic shift in their assignments. MOAA and other military and veterans’ organizations have been beating the drum for years to improve the lives of all of America’s military people and their families, but especially the Guard and Reserve. Areas needing attention include health care, education, employer support, and pay — programs that have not kept pace with the demands the nation has placed on its reserve component forces. As the commission conducts its review, MOAA will be, as always, at the side of currently serving men and women on active duty and in the Guard and Reserve, ﬁghting for what they have earned. If you’re not yet a part of MOAA’s One Powerful Voice, you should be. Visit www.moaa.org or call (800) 234-MOAA (6622). We consider every military and family member a national treasure, and we’ll treat you that way. — Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret. PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT http://www.moaa.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - August 2006

Military Officer - August 2006 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Chapter Activities Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Changing of the Guard Four-Star Rating Long Term Care Kryptogram Pages of History Information Exchange MOAA Scholarship Donors Member Books Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - August 2006

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.