The National Guard - Increased OPTEMPO Brings Paradigm Change to Strategic Resource
Abstract
The history of the National Guard is rich in tradition and partnership with the United States Army. The Guard also has maintained the same relationship with each of its state governments. The National Guard is the oldest organized military force in the United States. The National Guard has been activated to fight with the U.S. Army for over 200 years in numerous conflicts around the world. At the same time the National Guard has been vigilant to each of the 54 states and territories where the Guard is missioned to assist with natural disasters and civic uprisings within the sovereignty of the state they reside. Today's world situation has increased the reliance of the National Guard to the U.S. Army. The increased reliance on the National Guard has changed the paradigm of the Guard and causes reason for concern for the long standing relationship and capabilities of the 200 year old strategic resource. Increased reliance equates to increased operational tempo (OPTEMPO). The National Guard is being called upon more than ever before to partner with the U.S. Army in order to fulfill the National Military Strategy (NMS). The deployments have increased due to the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) and peace keeping operations around the world. The deployments have the potential to strain the Guard to a point which would render the strategic resource to a state of non-operational. This would have a significant negative impact to the NMS and to each of the sovereign states. The purpose of this strategy research project (SRP) is to explore the areas of concern the Guard must consider in order to avoid becoming non- operational and maintain itself as a strategic resource that has been relied upon for centuries.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA413511
Entities
People
- James R. Anderson
Organizations
- United States Army War College