The leaders of the National Guard Association of the U.S., which represents members of the U.S. Army and Air National Guard, are asking President Trump to restore more than $1 billion worth of Guard equipment that was cut from the Pentagon budget.
The cuts include $169 million for a pair of C-130J Super Hercules cargo planes for the Air Guard; $100 million for the Army National Guard’s Humvee modernization program; and $790 million for the National Guard and Reserve equipment account, officials said.
“All of these funds are essential to maintain National Guard interoperability, lethality and readiness in support of the National Defense Strategy,” National Guard officials Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire and Brig. Gen. J. Roy Robinson wrote in the letter to President Trump.
The National Guard leaders reminded their command-in-chief of a promise he made to them about four years ago during their general conference meeting in Baltimore, Md.
“You pledged, ’to give (the National Guard) the resources, the equipment and the support you need and deserve,’” the two men wrote in their letter to Mr. Trump.
They said he promised them a direct line to the White House. The two National Guard leaders are now asking or a meeting with him to “resolve this matter.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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