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New Year's Resolution: Blow the Whistle! Active Duty is strong-arming NGB to dismantle 2 Guard Apache Units!

Why distmantle any Guard Apache units, when all 8 ARBs can collectively share the loss of 48 Apaches?

This is a revised petition, modified to reflect recent changes based on the release of the NDAA in December 2014...



Bottom Line: The National Guard (NG) at risk to lose 48 Apache helicopters beginning in 2015, with potentially ALL Apaches taken from the Guard within a few years! This is not in the best interest of our military or national security! Now more than ever we need a cost effective military - the Guard is THE key factor in this. Learn more @ www.SavetheGuard.weebly.com - the site offers factual counterpoints to many of the half-truisms and myths being presented by Active Duty (AD).



Section 1712 of Title XVII re: National Commission on the Future of the Army, Subtitle B - Related Limitations, VERY clearly states on page 955: the Army may not, before March 31, 2016, divest, retire, or transfer, OR PREPARE to divest, retire, or transfer, any AH-64 Apache helicopters from the Army National Guard to the regular Army; or reduce personnel [related to the AH-64 Apache Guard units]... below the levels of such personnel as of September 30th, 2014.



Recently, NGB released a presentation outlining 1 of 4 possible Courses of Action (COAs) regarding where the 48 Guard Apaches will come from. Their selection will be briefed on 16 January 2015. Per the NDAA, the AD cannot affect, in any way, the manning or structure of the Guard between now and March 31, 2016. Why should the Guard agree to anything other than giving up 48 aircraft? The prudent answer is to give only what is required: 48 Apaches ? and do NOTHING ELSE (no Special Tools & Test Equipment, no PLL, etc.). What?s more is that 17 Apaches have already been taken from the NG. The NG is supposed to have 192, but currently only possesses 175. So, in reality, this leaves AD with only 31 of the 48 to claim.



The best COA offered is to share the losses across all 8 units, leaving each NG unit with 18 Apaches. This minimizes impact to any one particular unit, and keeps the losses equitable until the commission reveals their findings in February 2016. In all likelihood, the study may elect to keep ALL 8 Apache NG units and force AD to return the 48 Apaches; or possibly to bolster the Apache NG units, by giving even more Apache force structure to the Guard. In the meantime, it would be unwise to do anything that would jeopardize manning or structure of the Guard. Furthermore, doing otherwise is against the strict directives outlined in the NDAA. Someone needs to blow the whistle!



When the commission is formed, those selected need to be unbiased, objective, and without ulterior motives - meaning it should not include the soon-to-retire General Barclay, who coauthored ARI and is now lobbying to get himself on the commission.



ARI decimates the Total Force, "One Team, One Fight" concept. It changes the mission of the Guard Aviation to almost exclusively Domestic Operations and select overseas missions; a fundamental shift from the first charter of the Guard.



The Guard has 2 roles:

1. First & foremost is to provide an operational & ready reserve to defend the Nation; to supplement the Active Duty (AD) in any mission or conflict, anywhere in the world. Which is why the NG also has A-10s, F-15s, F-16s, F-22s, as well as Artillery, Bradleys, and M-1 Tanks.

2. To assist the State when requested by the Governor.



Is our nation willing to dismantle all NG Apache units and throw away over 1/3rd of the Apache aviators & maintainers who are the most experienced across the Army? Especially considering the fact that these units are 42% the cost of AD and don?t rely on costly contract maintenance? The Army would actually INCREASE its vulnerability by doing so. It will take a generation to train a replacement force for the loss of this experience. It takes time to develop aviators, mechanics, and leaders and this time is money already spent.



Even Tennessee is at risk, with no planned replacement for their pending loss of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. TN State should receive a replacement for these aircraft - either AH-6 "Little Birds" or AH-64 Apache helicopters.



Ultimately, ARI is only part of the problem... under proposed plans by AD, EVERY State is at risk of loss of NG soldiers (up to 35,000 across the Guard), jobs, revenue, & assets that provide a ready and viable resource to your State. Furthermore, there would need to be a large scale cross-leveling between all States & US Territories, in order to balance aviation assets (CH, UH, & LUH) across the Nation. This will become messy and complicated. Is this in the best interest of the National Guard, the States, their Governors, and most importantly, the citizens upon whom the Guard is sworn to protect?



The right answer is to have more in the NG and less in the AD. The role of the AD is to provide the initial surge in times of conflict... the first to roll out, wherever duty calls. At the same time, the NG can ramp up, and within 45 to 60 days be ready to start back-filling AD. It?s time to return to the pre WW2 model of a larger NG and smaller AD.



A strong militia has always been the foundation of our Nation's freedom. In the end, it is more than just an issue of why the National Guard does or does not need Apaches... this is an issue about why the United States needs the Guard with Combat Arms, as the founders of the Constitution intended it to be.



Protect the Guard - Protect the Nation! Visit: www.SavetheGuard.weebly.com