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George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
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Speechwriting, White House Office of
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Speech File Draft Files
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Chron File, 1989-1993
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National Guard Magazine 9/3/92 [OA 5812]
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4
Document No. 348006ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
9/4/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
SUBJECT:
STATEMENT FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD MAGAZINE
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCBRIDE
BAKER
MOORE
SCOWCROFT
MULLINS
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BATES
PORTER
BRADY
PROVOST
BROMLEY
ROSS
CALIO
SMITH
DEMAREST
TUTWILER
FITZWATER
ZOELLICK
GRAY
GAUGHAN
HOLIDAY
KAUFMAN
HORNER
SMITH
REMARKS:
The attached has been forwarded to the President.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
The Way Ahead
3 PIO: 30
By George Bush
For more than three centuries, the National Guard has helped
keep America safe and strong. In war and peace -- from the
colonial militia to Hurricane Andrew -- volunteer patriots have
embodied "America at its best."
Think of citizen-soldiers at Lexington and Concord -- or in
the jungles of Bataan and Guadalcanal. Their valor is a metaphor
for the American character. Recall how the Guard fights forest
fires, gives comfort to flood victims, or led recent food
missions to Sarajevo. Its heroism lives as history -- passed
from one generation to another.
The Founding Fathers knew that America needed a strong
National Guard. Times have changed, but not the Guard's mission:
To protect life and liberty at home and abroad. Today, its
members -- more than half-a-million strong -- stand ready to
define a new era which seemed inconceivable as recently as 1988.
During the last 3 and 1/2 years, the reserve forces of the
United States have formed a crucial part of the finest fighting
force this Nation has ever known. They have led our fight
against illegal drugs, and met other peacetime challenges. They
were vital to restoring democracy to Panama, and to a victory for
the ages: The Cold War is over -- and freedom won.
Last year, the National Guard also helped forge our triumph
over tyranny in the sands of the Gulf. Saddam Hussein learned
that the Rockies would crumble before our Guardsmen did. Years
2
from now books will chronicle the bravery of the National Guard
and Reserve forces in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. As
Commander-in-Chief and as a fellow veteran, I learned from their
example and success.
As President I could not have acted decisively in the Gulf
without full confidence in American armed troops -- both active
and reserve. Each day of the Gulf conflict I heard countless
instances of gallantry. When Barbara and I prayed at Camp David
the night before the air war began, I asked God to make me worthy
of Americans who would give of themselves -- and perhaps of their
lives. Looking back, I hope I was.
Even now, I marvel at heroes like the 167th Tactical Airlift
Group -- a C-130 unit from West Virginia. Late one evening the
unit was asked for 40 aerial port personnel to deploy in support
of air cargo operations. More than 100 quickly volunteered.
Another Guardsman, Arizona Captain Debra Clark, drove her
transportation unit 27 straight hours deep into Iraq. Tennessee
Captain Terry Saltsman and his company were among the first U.S.
ground troops to cross the Iraqi border. Unbelievably, Guard
postal units in Saudi Arabia handled nearly 300 tons of mail in a
three-day period. They had a half-day off only on Thanksgiving
and Christmas -- their only time off in the entire mobilization.
The Persian Gulf showed America at her best. Yet the
Twenty-First Century will present different challenges. Future
risks to our security will be marked by ambiguity and rapid
change -- not the relative certainty of the past. One asset of
3
experience is an appreciation of history: Both teach, as Lincoln
said, the need to "think and act anew." His words explain why we
must realign the size and shape of the Guard and Reserve to meet
the needs of our new national security requirements in a world
far different from the 1980s.
Several important principles will guide the design of our
Guard and Reserve Forces. First and foremost is a principle I
detailed in my August 1991 statement of the National Security
Strategy of the United States:
"In a world less driven by an immediate, massive threat to
Europe or the danger of global war, the need to support a
smaller but still crucial forward presence and to deal with
regional contingencies -- including possibly a limited,
conventional threat to Europe -- will shape how we organize,
equip, train, deploy, and employ our active and reserve
forces
Today we must reshape our Guard and Reserve
forces so that they can continue their important
contributions in new circumstances. "
The end of the Cold War and the demise of that single,
monolithic threat that defined our security requirements for four
decades requires a careful study of our future military
capability. Compounding the problem are the reckless cries for
additional cuts in defense spending. Let me be blunt: What
those who propose to gut the defense budget while devoting more
dollars to big government spending really want are massive
reductions in the size of U.S. active and reserve forces. They
4
won't do it as long as I am President. The Soviet bear may be
dead -- but wolves still stalk the world. I will reduce the size
of our military defense -- but never our capacity to defend our
citizens, interests, and allies. Nor will I ever reduce
America's commitment to vigilance.
The second principle of a restructured military is a major
reliance upon reserve forces, as well as active forces. The
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff recently testified that
"maintaining strong, capable Reserve and Guard forces will remain
essential to our military strategy" -- and that as the size of
the total force falls, "we can move certain units or functions
into the reserves to avoid the costs associated with keeping them
in the active force structure." We will do this fairly -- based
on merit and need -- without discriminating against any part of
the Armed Forces.
The third principle guiding our force structure involves
concern for the demands placed on individual National Guardsmen,
Reservists, and their families. Our "citizen-soldiers" devote
time to their families, civilian occupations, or education. If
we intrude upon them for every minor skirmish or trouble spot, we
may soon face retention problems involving the same high-quality
reserve personnel that we most need. On the other hand, reserve
units and individuals will provide critical support in large or
protracted conflicts, or in other crises that require the use of
the armed forces -- and in increasing numbers as the
5
confrontation evolves. We will also rely on National Guard and
Reserve combat units to reinforce and augment active forces.
Thus, the reserves will continue to be vital to our total
force in the years ahead -- but plans for the use of the total
force will change. In the Cold War, the threat to our national
security was clear -- and specific roles and missions could be
assigned to specific forces and units. In the ambiguous security
environment ahead, detailed planning for every contingency or
crisis will be less likely. Thus, flexibility will matter more -
- as will the variables that influence decisions about which
forces are required. Among them are the nature of the missions
to be performed, and the capabilities, readiness, immediate
availability and geographical location of specific active or
reserve units. Our goal is a troop structure that gives peace a
chance -- but never takes a chance with peace.
I believe most Guardsmen share this view -- know that when
it comes to national security, finishing second means finishing
last. My support of a strong defense spans a lifetime. I am no
election-year convert to keeping America Number One. As a
veteran, I know we must keep our armed forces ready and capable:
The Cold War victory we won based on strength must not be lost
because of weakness. That is why I reject those who advocate
deep budget cuts that jeopardize our nation's safety. Our
defense budget involves more than needed weapons systems -- or
ensuring American forces are the best-equipped military in the
world with world-class technology. It means we must also spend
6
the necessary time and effort training our active and reserve
forces. This is especially true as we reshape our forces to meet
our defense strategy in the 1990s and beyond.
We cannot afford to return to the hollow-forces military of
the late 1970s -- where capability was low and morale lower. In
Iran, the rescue operation, Desert One, was a disaster. American
parts wouldn't work. American planes wouldn't fly. I will never
permit such humiliation. Instead, I will reshape the U.S.
military in a way that keeps it strong and capable, worthy of
respect and admiration at home and abroad.
Like most Guardsmen, I know what it means to raise a family,
build a life, go to battle, and see friends die. I was on a
three-man bombing crew -- and learned of teamwork and sacrifice.
I learned, too, about a cause larger than ourselves. I remember
spending a month aboard the submarine Finback after being shot
down -- and at night standing watch on the bridge and looking out
at the dark. The sky was clear. There was calm, inner peace --
God's therapy.
Given that, I will never forget those who endured war so
that liberty might live. I stand with those who time and again
have shown that they are ready -- whether in a major armed
conflict like Desert Storm, the fight against drug traffickers,
or other peacetime operations. Fifty years ago, the National
Guard provided the first army units to go into offensive combat
in World War II. This year, it again helped our nation stand
7
tall -- sending to hurricane-ravaged areas troops who proved that
Americans pull together to repair what nature has torn apart.
In the hurricane's wake, Guardsman Scott Merrick of Oak
Hill, Florida, placed an American flag between a twisted traffic
light and a storm gutter. He put it there because "it says a
whole lot about what's happening." Scott knew that victims of
Hurricane Andrew might be physically beaten -- but they would not
be defeated. How could they? They were Americans.
Against the winds of tyranny or a hurricane, National
Guardsmen have helped America triumph on the wings of hope. They
have helped lead us in the past -- and will too in the future.
"Always ready, always there" -- always the best that is America.
REVISED
Document No. 34800655
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
9/3/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 9/3 ASAP!!!
SUBJECT: REVISED STATEMENT FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD MAGAZINE
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCBRIDE
BAKER
X MOORE
SCOWCROFT
X
MULLINS N/C
>
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BATES
PORTER
BRADY
x
PROVOST
BROMLEY
ROSS
CALIO
SMITH
DEMAREST
TUTWILER
FITZWATER
X
ZOELLICK
GRAY defening to NSC
KAUFMAN
N/C
deterring
HOLIDAY
to NSC
SMITH
HORNER
GAUGHAN
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Curt Smith, Rm. 120
x2930, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TODAY, with a copy to this office.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
REVISED
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
The Way Ahead
By George Bush
J2 SEP 3 P3: 59
For more than three centuries the National Guard has helped
keep America safe and strong. In both war and peace -- from the
colonial militia to Hurricane Andrew -- these citizen-soldiers have
embodied "America at its best."
Think of the National Guard at Lexington and Concord -- or in
the jungles of Guadalcanal. Its valor is a metaphor for the
American character. Recall how the Guard fights forest fires,
gives comfort to flood victims, or led recent food missions to
Sarajevo. Its heroism lives as oral history -- passed from one
generation to another.
The Founding Fathers knew that America needed a powerful
standing army and a strong National Guard. Times have changed, but
not the Guard's mission: To unlock opportunity at home and liberty
abroad. Today, its members -- more than 500,000 strong -- stand
ready to define a new era which seemed inconceivable as recently
as 1988. Charting it can spread the freedom which is America's
essence and message.
During a period of less than 2 1/2 years, the Reserve forces
of the United States have formed a crucial part of the finest
fighting force this Nation has ever known. They have led our fight
against illegal drugs, and met a Rubik's Cube of peacetime needs.
They were vital to the successful armed conflict in Panama, and in
a victory for the ages: The Cold War is over -- and America won.
Last year, the National Guard also helped forge one of the
2
greatest moments in American history -- our triumph over tyranny
in the sands of the Gulf. Saddam Hussein learned that the Rockies
would crumble before Guardsmen did: Few played a larger role in
ensuring that aggression would not stand. Years from now history
will salute the bravery of the National Guard and reserved forces
in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. As Commander in Chief and
as a fellow veteran, I learned from your example and success.
I am proud that the size of the Air National Guard will
increase by 1997 as a result of its Gulf role. I also know that
as President I could not have acted decisively without full
confidence in American armed troops -- both active and reserve.
Each day of the conflict I heard countless instances of gallantry -
- privates and pilots, sergeants and supply officers, men and women
in the machines -- heroes all. When Barbara and I prayed at Camp
David the night before the air war began, I asked God to make me
worthy of the finest fighting force America has ever known.
That night I recalled the 167th Tactical Airlift Group -- a
C-130 unit from Martinsburg, West Virginia. Late one evening the
unit was asked for 40 serial port personnel to deploy in support
of air cargo operations. More than 100 quickly volunteered. Later
I thought, too, of the first U.S. aircraft flown into Southwest
Asia -- an Air National Guard C-141 from the 172nd Military Airlift
Group of Jackson, Mississippi. Captain Debra Clark of Arizona
drove her transportation unit 27 straight hours deep into Iraq.
Tennessee Captain Terry Saltsman was among the first U.S. ground
troops to cross the Iraqi border. I still marvel at Guard postal
3
units in Saudi Arabia handling nearly 300 tons of mail in a three-
day period. They had a half-day off only on Thanksgiving and
Christmas -- their only time off in the entire mobilization.
The Persian Gulf showed America at her best -- benefiting from
the unprecedented growth in Reserve forces since 1980. Yet the
Twenty-First Century will present different challenges. Future
risks to our security will be characterized by ambiguity and rapid
change -- not the relative certainty of the past. One asset of
experience is a love of history: Both teach, in Lincoln's words,
the need to "think anew" -- and realign the size and shape of the
Guard and Reserve to meet the needs of our new military strategy
in a world far different from the 1980s.
Several important principles will guide the design of our
Guard and Reserve Forces. First and foremost is a principle I
detailed in my August 1991 statement of the National Security
Strategy of the United States:
"In a world less driven by an immediate, massive threat to
Europe or the danger of global war, the need to support a
smaller but still crucial forward presence and to deal with
regional contingencies -- including possibly a limited,
conventional threat to Europe -- will shape how we organize,
equip, train, deploy, and employ our active and reserve forces
Today we must reshape our Guard and Reserve forces so
that they can continue their important contributions in new
circumstances."
By itself the changing world makes it hard to preserve our
4
military capability. Compounding the problem are the cries in and
out of Congress for additional cuts in defense spending. Let's be
blunt: What those who propose to gut the defense budget while
devoting more dollars to economic conversion and reinvestment
really want are massive reductions in the size of U.S. active and
reserve forces. They won't do it as long as I am President. The
Soviet bear may be dead -- but wolves still stalk the world. I
will reduce the size of our military defense -- but never our
commitment to vigilance.
The second principle of a reshaped Guard is major reliance
upon Reserve forces, as well as Active forces. The Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff recently testified that "maintaining strong,
capable Reserve and Guard forces will remain essential to our
military strategy" -- and that as the size of the Total Force
falls, "we can move certain units or functions into the Reserves
to avoid the costs associated with keeping them in the active force
structure." We will do this fairly -- based on merit and need -
- without discriminating against any part of the Armed Forces.
The third principle guiding our force structure involves
concern for the demands placed on individual National Guardsmen and
Reservists. That does not mean we will involuntarily activate
large numbers of Reservists to active duty in the initial stages
of every contingency.
Our "citizen-soldiers" devote time to their families, civilian
occupations, or education. If we intrude upon it for every minor
skirmish or trouble spot, we may soon face retention problems
5
involving the same high-quality Reserve personnel that we most
need. On the other hand, Reserve units and individuals will
provide critical support in large or protracted conflicts, or in
other crises which require the use of the Armed Forces -- and in
increasing numbers as the confrontation evolves. Heavy reliance
will also rest on National Guard and Reserve combat units to
reinforce and augment Active forces.
Thus, the Reserve will be vital to the Total Force of the
1990s -- but plans for the use of the Total Force will change. In
the Cold War, the threat to our national security was clear -- and
specific roles and missions could be assigned to specific forces
and units. In the ambiguous security environment ahead, detailed
planning for every contingency or crisis will be less likely, if
even possible. Thus, flexibility will matter more. So will the
variables that decide which forces serve. Among them are the
nature of the missions to be performed, and the capabilities,
readiness, immediate availability and geographical location of
specific Active or Reserve units. Our goal is a troop structure
which gives peace a chance -- but never takes a chance with peace.
I believe most Guardsmen share this view -- know that when it
comes to national security, finishing second means finishing last.
My support of strong defense spans a lifetime. I am no election-
year convert to keeping America No. 1. As a World War II veteran,
I know we must keep our armed forces ready and capable: The Cold
War victory we won based on strength must not be lost because of
weakness. That is why I reject those in the Democrat Congress who
6
advocate deep budget cuts that jeopardize the safety of every troop
in uniform. Our defense budget involves more than needed weapons
systems -- or ensuring American forces are the best-equipped
military in the world with world-class technology. It means we
must also spend the necessary time and effort training our active
and reserve forces. This is especially true as we reshape our
forces to meet our defense strategy in the 1990s and beyond.
We cannot afford to return to the hollow-forces military of
the late 1970s -- where quality was low and morale lower. The
results were disastrous: Iran -- Afghanistan -- American parts
that wouldn't work -- American planes that couldn't fly. I will
never permit such humilitation. Instead, I will reshape the U.S.
military in a way that does not cause hollow forces and that treats
the uniform with respect. I will continue to support the transition
needs of all active and reserve personnel.
Like most Guardsmen, I know what it means to raise a family,
build a life, go to battle, and see friends die. I was on a three-
man bombing crew -- and learned of teamwork. I learned, too, about
a cause larger than ourselves. I remember spending a month aboard
the submarine Finback after being shot down -- and at night
standing watch on the tower and looking at the dark. The sky was
clear. There was calm, inner peace -- God's therapy.
Given that, could I forget those who endured war so that
liberty might live? I can't -- won't. I stand with those who time
and again have shown that they are ready -- whether in a major
armed conflict like JUST CAUSE, the fight against drug traffickers,
7
or more routine peacetime operations. Fifty years ago, the
National Guard provided the first army units to go into offensive
combat in World War II. Recently, it again helped our nation stand
tall -- sending to hurricane-ravaged areas troops who proved that
Americans pull together to repair what nature has torn apart.
It was here, on Southwest 157th Street in Miami, that
Guardsman Scott Merrick of Oak Hill, Florida, placed an American
flag between a twisted traffic light and a storm gutter. He put
it there because "it says a whole lot about what's happening." "
Scott knew that victims of Hurricane Andrew might be physically
beaten -- but they would not be defeated. How could they? They
were Americans.
Against the winds of tyranny or a hurricane, National
Guardsmen have helped America triumph on the wings of hope. They
have helped lead us in the past -- and will too in the future.
"Always ready, always there" -- always the best that is America.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 3, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR CURT SMITH
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER
RBP
SUBJECT:
Revised Statement for the National Guard Magazine
We have reviewed the attached remarks and have noted several
suggested changes on the draft.
Please let us know if you have any questions or if we may
help in any other way.
CC: Phillip D. Brady
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 9- 3-92 ; 16:19 ;
The White House-
202 456 7739;# 2
REVISED
Document No. 34800655
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
9/3/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 9/3 ASAPII
SUBJECT: REVISED STATEMENT FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD MAGAZINE
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCBRIDE
BAKER
MOORE
SCOWCROFT
MULLINS
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BATES
PORTER
BRADY
PROVOST
BROMLEY
ROSS
CALIO
SMITH
DEMAREST
TUTWILER
a
FITZWATER
ZOELLICK
GRAY
KAUFMAN
HOLIDAY
SMITH
HORNER
GAUGHAN
REMARKS:
2
Please forward your comments directly to Curt Smith, Rm. 12A
x2930, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TODAY, with a copy to this office.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
REVISED
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 9- 3-92 ; 16:20 ;
The White House-
202 456 7739:# 3
The Way Ahead
By George Bush
2 SEP 3 P3: 59
For more than three centuries the National Guard has helped
keep America safe and strong. In both war and peace -- from the
colonial militia to Hurricane Andrew -- these citizen-soldiers have
embodied "America at its best."
Think of the National Guard at Lexington and Concord -- or in
the jungles of Guadalcanal. Its valor is a metaphor for the
American character. Recall how the Guard fights forest fires,
gives comfort to flood victims, or led recent food missions to
Sarajevo. Its heroism lives as oral history -- passed from one
generation to another.
The Founding Fathers knew that America needed a powerful
standing army and a strong National Guard. Times have changed, but
not the Guard's mission: To unlock opportunity at home and liberty
abroad. Today, its members -- more than 500,000 strong -- stand
ready to define a new era which seemed inconceivable as recently
as 1988. Charting it can spread the freedom which is America's
essence and message.
During a period of less than 2 1/2 years, the Reserve forces
of the United States have formed a crucial part of the finest
fighting force this Nation has ever MULTITUDE known. They have led our fight
against illegal drugs, and met a Rubik's Cube of peacetime needs.
They were vital to the successful armed conflict in Panama, and in
a victory for the ages: The Cold War is over -- and America won.
Last year, the National Guard also helped forge one of the
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 9- 3-92 ; 16:20 ;
The White House->
202 456 7739:# 4
2
greatest moments in American history -- our triumph over tyranny
in the sands of the Gulf. Saddam Hussein learned that the Rockies
OUR
would crumble before/Guardsmen did. Few played a larger role in
ensuring that aggression would not stand. Years from now history
will salute the bravery of the National Guard and reserved forces
in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. As Commander in Chief and
as a fellow veteran, I learned from your example and success.
I am proud that the size of the Air National Guard will
increase by 1997 as a result of its Gulf role. I also know that
as President I could not have acted decisively without full
confidence in American armed troops -- both active and reserve.
Each day of the conflict I heard countless instances of gallantry -
- privates and pilots, sergeants and supply officers, men and women
in the machines -- heroes all. When Barbara and I prayed at Camp
David the night before the air war began, I asked God to make me
LEADING
worthy of Vthe finest fighting force America has ever known.
That night I recalled the 167th Tactical Airlift Group -- a
C-130 unit from Martinsburg, West Virginia. Late one evening the
unit was asked for 40 serial port personnel to deploy in support
of air cargo operations. More than 100 quickly volunteered. Later
I thought, too, of the first U.S. aircraft flown into Southwest
Asia -- an Air National Guard C-141 from the 172nd Military Airlift
Group of Jackson, Mississippi. Captain Debra Clark of Arizona
drove her transportation unit 27 straight hours deep into Iraq.
Tennessee Captain Terry Saltsman was among the first U.S. ground
troops to cross the Iraqi border. I still marvel at Guard postal
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 9- 3-92 ; 16:21
;
The White House->
202 456 7739;# 5
3
units in Saudi Arabia handling nearly 300 tons of mail in a three-
day period. They had a half-day off only on Thanksgiving and
Christmas -- their only time off in the entire mobilization.
The Persian Gulf showed America at her best -- benefiting from
the unprecedented growth in Reserve forces since 1980. Yet the
Twenty-First Century will present different challenges. Future
risks to our security will be characterized by ambiguity and rapid
change -- not the relative certainty of the past. One asset of
AN APPRECIATION
experience is a love of history: Both teach, in Lincoln's words,
the need to "think anew" -- and realign the size and shape of the
Guard and Reserve to meet the needs of our new military strategy
in a world far different from the 1980s.
Several important principles will guide the design of our
Guard and Reserve Forces. First and foremost is a principle I
detailed in my August 1991 statement of the National Security
Strategy of the United States:
"In a world less driven by an immediate, massive threat to
Europe or the danger of global war, the need to support a
smaller but still crucial forward presence and to deal with
regional contingencies -- including possibly a limited,
conventional threat to Europe -- will shape how we organize,
equip, train, deploy, and employ our active and reserve forces
Today we must reshape our Guard and Reserve forces so
that they can continue their important contributions in new
circumstances."
By itself the changing world makes it hard to preserve our
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 9- 3-92 ; 16:21
;
The White House->
202 456 7739:# 6
4
RELKLESS
military capability. Compounding the problem are the cries in ME and
out of Congress for additional cuts in defense spending. Let be
STET
blunt: What those who propose to gut the defense budget while
devoting more dollars to economic conversion and reinvestment
really want are massive reductions in the size of U.S. active and
reserve forces. They won't do it as long as I am President. The
Soviet bear may be dead -- but wolves still stalk the world. I
will reduce the size of our military defense -- but never our
commitment to vigilance.
The second principle of a reshaped Guard is major reliance
upon Reserve forces, as well as Active forces. The Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff recently testified that "maintaining strong,
capable Reserve and Guard forces will remain essential to our
military strategy" -- and that as the size of the Total Force
falls, "we can move certain units or functions into the Reserves
to avoid the costs associated with keeping them in the active force
structure." We will do this fairly -- based on merit and need -
- without discriminating against any part of the Armed Forces.
The third principle guiding our force structure involves
concern for the demands placed on individual National Guardsmen and
Reservists. That does not mean we will involuntarily activate
large numbers of Reservists to active duty in the initial stages
of every contingency.
Our "citizen-soldiers" devote time to their families, civilian
occupations, or education. If we intrude upon it for every minor
skirmish or trouble spot, we may soon face retention problems
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 9- 3-92 ; 16:22 ;
The White House->
202 456 7739;# 7
5
involving the same high-quality Reserve personnel that we most
need. On the other hand, Reserve units and individuals will
provide critical support in large or protracted conflicts, or in
other crises which require the use of the Armed Forces -- and in
increasing numbers as the confrontation evolves. Heavy reliance
will also rest on National Guard and Reserve combat units to
reinforce and augment Active forces.
Thus, the Reserve will be vital to the Total Force of the
1990s -- but plans for the use of the Total Force will change. In
the Cold War, the threat to our national security was clear -- and
specific roles and missions could be assigned to specific forces
and units. In the ambiguous security environment ahead, detailed
planning for every contingency or crisis will be less likely, if
even possible. Thus, flexibility will matter more
so As will the
variables that decide which forces serve. Among them are the
nature of the missions to be performed, and the capabilities,
readiness, immediate availability and geographical location of
specific Active or Reserve units. Our goal is a troop structure
which gives peace a chance -- but never takes a chance with peace.
I believe most Guardsmen share this view -- know that when it
comes to national security, finishing second means finishing last.
My support of strong defense spans a lifetime. I am no election-
year convert to keeping America No. 1. As a World War II veteran,
I know we must keep our armed forces ready and capable: The Cold
War victory we won based on strength must not be lost because of
weakness. That is why I reject those in the Democrat Congress who
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 9- 3-92 ; 16:22 ;
The White House-
202 456 7739:# 8
6
our NATION'S
advocate deep budget cuts that jeopardize the safety. of every troop
in uniform. Our defense budget involves more than needed weapons
systems -- or ensuring American forces are the best-equipped
military in the world with world-class technology. It means we
must also spend the necessary time and effort training our active
and reserve forces. This is especially true as we reshape our
forces to meet our defense strategy in the 1990s and beyond.
We cannot afford to return to the hollow-forces military of
the late 1970s -- where quality was low and morale lower. The
results were disastrous: Iran -- Afghanistan -- American parts
BECAUSE THE NECESSARY PARTS
that wouldn't work Amer ican I planes that couldn't flyx I will
never permit such humilitation. Instead, I will reshape the U.S.
military in a way that does not cause hollow forces / and that treats
CREATE A
the uniform with respect. I will continue to support the transition
WERE NOT AVAILABLE
needs of all active and reserve personnel.
Like most Guardsmen, I know what it means to raise a family,
0
build a life, go to battle, and see friends die. I was on a three-
man bombing crew -- and learned of teamwork. I learned, too, about
a cause larger than ourselves. I remember spending a month aboard
the submarine Finback after being shot down -- and at night
standing watch on the tower and looking at the dark. The sky was
clear. There was calm, inner peace -- God's therapy.
Given that, could I forget those who endured war so that
AND
liberty might live? I can't -Won't. I stand with those who time
and again have shown that they are ready -- whether in a major
armed conflict like JUST CAUSE, the fight against drug traffickers,
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 9- 3-92 ; 16:23 ;
The White House-
202 456 7739;# 9
7
or more routine peacetime operations. Fifty years ago, the
National Guard provided the first army units to go into offensive
combat in World War II. Recently, it again helped our nation stand
tall -- sending to hurricane-ravaged areas troops who proved that
Americans pull together to repair what nature has torn apart.
It was here, on Southwest 157th street in Miami, that
Guardsman Scott Merrick of Oak Hill, Florida, placed an American
flag between a twisted traffic light and a storm gutter. He put
it there because "it says a whole lot about what's happening."
Scott knew that victims of Hurricane Andrew might be physically
beaten -- but they would not be defeated. How could they? They
were Americans.
Against the winds of tyranny or a hurricane, National
Guardsmen have helped America triumph on the CONTINUE wings of hope. They
have helped lead us in the past -- and will Vtoo in the future.
"Always ready, always there" -- always the best that is America.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
9-3282 SEP 3 P7:26
NOTICE:
Enclosed are comments from staff members of the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). Such comments do not necessarily
represent the official position of the Director of OMB or of the
Office of Management and Budget. If you wish to have the
Director's personal comments, please let me know -- and contact
me if you have any questions.
James UCM C. Mufr
Associate Director for
Legislative Reference
and Administration
REVISED
Document No. 34800655
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
9/3/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 9/3 ASAP!!!
SUBJECT: REVISED STATEMENT FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD MAGAZINE
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCBRIDE
BAKER
MOORE
SCOWCROFT
MULLINS
>
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BATES
PORTER
>
BRADY
PROVOST
BROMLEY
ROSS
CALIO
SMITH
DEMAREST
TUTWILER
FITZWATER
ZOELLICK
GRAY
KAUFMAN
HOLIDAY
SMITH
HORNER
GAUGHAN
REMARKS:
D.MS BROARTY 122
Please forward your comments directly to Curt Smith, Rm. 120
x2930, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TODAY, with a copy to this office.
RESPONSE:
See comment
PHILLIP D. BRADY
REVISED
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
The Way Ahead
By George Bush
2 SEP 3 P3: 59
For more than three centuries the National Guard has helped
keep America safe and strong. In both war and peace -- from the
colonial militia to Hurricane Andrew -- these citizen-soldiers have
embodied "America at its best."
Think of the National Guard at Lexington and Concord -- or in
the jungles of Guadalcanal. Its valor is a metaphor for the
American character. Recall how the Guard fights forest fires,
gives comfort to flood victims, or led recent food missions to
Sarajevo. Its heroism lives as oral history -- passed from one
generation to another.
The Founding Fathers knew that America needed a powerful
standing army and a strong National Guard. Times have changed, but
not the Guard's mission: To unlock opportunity at home and liberty
abroad. Today, its members -- more than 500,000 strong -- stand
ready to define a new era which seemed inconceivable as recently
as 1988. Charting it can spread the freedom which is America's
essence and message.
During a period of less than 2 1/2 years, the Reserve forces
of the United States have formed a crucial part of the finest
fighting force this Nation has ever known. They have led our fight
against illegal drugs, and met a Rubik's Cube of peacetime needs.
They were vital to the successful armed conflict in Panama, and in
a victory for the ages: The Cold War is over -- and America won.
Last year, the National Guard also helped forge one of the
2
greatest moments in American history -- our triumph over tyranny
in the sands of the Gulf. Saddam Hussein learned that the Rockies
would crumble before Guardsmen did: Few played a larger role in
ensuring that aggression would not stand. Years from now history
R,
will salute the bravery of the National Guard and reserved forces
Housil 4657
in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. As Commander in Chief and
as a fellow veteran, I learned from your example and success.
I am proud that the size of the Air National Guard will
increase by 1997 as a result of its Gulf role. I also know that
as President I could not have acted decisively without full
confidence in American armed troops -- both active and reserve.
Each day of the conflict I heard countless instances of gallantry -
- privates and pilots, sergeants and supply officers, men and women
in the machines -- heroes all. When Barbara and I prayed at Camp
David the night before the air war began, I asked God to make me
worthy of the finest fighting force America has ever known.
That night I recalled the 167th Tactical Airlift Group -- a
C-130 unit from Martinsburg, West Virginia. Late one evening the
unit was asked for 40 serial port personnel to deploy in support
of air cargo operations. More than 100 quickly volunteered. Later
I thought, too, of the first U.S. aircraft flown into Southwest
Asia -- an Air National Guard C-141 from the 172nd Military Airlift
Group of Jackson, Mississippi. Captain Debra Clark of Arizona
drove her transportation unit 27 straight hours deep into Iraq.
Tennessee Captain Terry Saltsman was among the first U.S. ground
troops to cross the Iraqi border. I still marvel at Guard postal
3
units in Saudi Arabia handling nearly 300 tons of mail in a three-
day period. They had a half-day off only on Thanksgiving and
Christmas -- their only time off in the entire mobilization.
The Persian Gulf showed America at her best -- benefiting from
the unprecedented growth in Reserve forces since 1980. Yet the
Twenty-First Century will present different challenges. Future
risks to our security will be characterized by ambiguity and rapid
change -- not the relative certainty of the past. One asset of
experience is a love of history: Both teach, in Lincoln's words,
the need to "think anew" -- and realign the size and shape of the
Guard and Reserve to meet the needs of our new military strategy
in a world far different from the 1980s.
Several important principles will guide the design of our
Guard and Reserve Forces. First and foremost is a principle I
detailed in my August 1991 statement of the National Security
Strategy of the United States:
"In a world less driven by an immediate, massive threat to
Europe or the danger of global war, the need to support a
smaller but still crucial forward presence and to deal with
regional contingencies -- including possibly a limited,
conventional threat to Europe -- will shape how we organize,
equip, train, deploy, and employ our active and reserve forces
Today we must reshape our Guard and Reserve forces so
that they can continue their important contributions in new
circumstances."
By itself the changing world makes it hard to preserve our
4
military capability. Compounding the problem are the cries in and
out of Congress for additional cuts in defense spending. Let's be
blunt: What those who propose to gut the defense budget while
devoting more dollars to economic conversion and reinvestment
really want are massive reductions in the size of U.S. active and
reserve forces. They won't do it as long as I am President. The
Soviet bear may be dead -- but wolves still stalk the world. I
will reduce the size of our military defense -- but never our
commitment to vigilance.
The second principle of a reshaped Guard is major reliance
upon Reserve forces, as well as Active forces. The Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff recently testified that "maintaining strong,
capable Reserve and Guard forces will remain essential to our
military strategy" -- and that as the size of the Total Force
falls, "we can move certain units or functions into the Reserves
to avoid the costs associated with keeping them in the active force
structure." We will do this fairly -- based on merit and need -
- without discriminating against any part of the Armed Forces.
The third principle guiding our force structure involves
concern for the demands placed on individual National Guardsmen and
Reservists. That does not mean we will involuntarily activate
large numbers of Reservists to active duty in the initial stages
of every contingency.
Our "citizen-soldiers" devote time to their families, civilian
occupations, or education. If we intrude upon it for every minor
skirmish or trouble spot, we may soon face retention problems
5
involving the same high-quality Reserve personnel that we most
need. On the other hand, Reserve units and individuals will
provide critical support in large or protracted conflicts, or in
other crises which require the use of the Armed Forces -- and in
increasing numbers as the confrontation evolves. Heavy reliance
will also rest on National Guard and Reserve combat units to
reinforce and augment Active forces.
Thus, the Reserve will be vital to the Total Force of the
1990s -- but plans for the use of the Total Force will change. In
the Cold War, the threat to our national security was clear -- and
specific roles and missions could be assigned to specific forces
and units. In the ambiguous security environment ahead, detailed
planning for every contingency or crisis will be less likely, if
even possible. Thus, flexibility will matter more. So will the
variables that decide which forces serve. Among them are the
nature of the missions to be performed, and the capabilities,
readiness, immediate availability and geographical location of
specific Active or Reserve units. Our goal is a troop structure
which gives peace a chance -- but never takes a chance with peace.
I believe most Guardsmen share this view -- know that when it
comes to national security, finishing second means finishing last.
My support of strong defense spans a lifetime. I am no election-
year convert to keeping America No. 1. As a World War II veteran,
I know we must keep our armed forces ready and capable: The Cold
War victory we won based on strength must not be lost because of
weakness. That is why I reject those in the Democrat Congress who
6
advocate deep budget cuts that jeopardize the safety of every troop
in uniform. Our defense budget involves more than needed weapons
systems -- or ensuring American forces are the best-equipped
military in the world with world-class technology. It means we
must also spend the necessary time and effort training our active
and reserve forces. This is especially true as we reshape our
forces to meet our defense strategy in the 1990s and beyond.
We cannot afford to return to the hollow-forces military of
the late 1970s -- where quality was low and morale lower. The
results were disastrous: Iran -- Afghanistan -- American parts
that wouldn't work -- American planes that couldn't fly. I will
never permit such humilitation. Instead, I will reshape the U.S.
military in a way that does not cause hollow forces and that treats
the uniform with respect. I will continue to support the transition
needs of all active and reserve personnel.
Like most Guardsmen, I know what it means to raise a family,
build a life, go to battle, and see friends die. I was on a three-
man bombing crew -- and learned of teamwork. I learned, too, about
a cause larger than ourselves. I remember spending a month aboard
the submarine Finback after being shot down -- and at night
standing watch on the tower and looking at the dark. The sky was
clear. There was calm, inner peace -- God's therapy.
Given that, could I forget those who endured war so that
liberty might live? I can't -- won't. I stand with those who time
and again have shown that they are ready -- whether in a major
armed conflict like JUST CAUSE, the fight against drug traffickers,
7
or more routine peacetime operations. Fifty years ago, the
National Guard provided the first army units to go into offensive
combat in World War II. Recently, it again helped our nation stand
tall -- sending to hurricane-ravaged areas troops who proved that
Americans pull together to repair what nature has torn apart.
It was here, on Southwest 157th Street in Miami, that
Guardsman Scott Merrick of Oak Hill, Florida, placed an American
flag between a twisted traffic light and a storm gutter. He put
it there because "it says a whole lot about what's happening."
Scott knew that victims of Hurricane Andrew might be physically
beaten -- but they would not be defeated. How could they? They
were Americans.
Against the winds of tyranny or a hurricane, National
Guardsmen have helped America triumph on the wings of hope. They
have helped lead us in the past -- and will too in the future.
"Always ready, always there" -- always the best that is America.