National Guard Program

VFA is undertaking a state-by-state examination of the effects of deployments on National Guard citizen Soldiers, their families, their communities, their employers, and the national security of our country.

VFA provides hands-on assistance to our Guard members and their families, as well as feedback to Guard and state leaders regarding changes that need to be implemented and programs that are working effectively.

Between now and President Bush’s last day in office, nearly half of the Soldiers deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan will be citizen Soldiers from the Army National Guard. The heavy reliance on the National Guard in OEF and OIF is unprecedented in the history of the all-volunteer force and the stresses created are considerable.

National Guard Outreach

VFA has deployed its team of Servicemember Liaisons and policy experts to National Guard headquarters and communities across the country to work with families of deployed troops and community leaders. VFA has attended musters and visited bases and Family Assistance Centers, where National Guard citizen Soldiers are preparing to deploy to OIF and OEF—or from which they have recently deployed.

State-specific Programs

VFA is currently doing focused examinations in Alaska, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Virginia on the impact the deployment of their National Guard units are having on their communities.  Read VFA’s reports on Minnesota and Maine.

Our National Guard: Too High a Price

Between now and the end of President George W. Bush’s term in office on January 20, 2009, almost half of the Soldiers who are scheduled to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan – totaling almost 20,000 troops – will come from the National Guard. Further, nearly half of the Army National Guard Brigade Combat Teams (BCT’s) deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan in this timeframe will be on their second tour. Repeat deployments, reduced time at home and extended combat tours are having a devastating effect on National Guard members, their families and communities. Read the report

Weekend Warriors to Frontline Soldiers

Since September 11, 2001, the mission of the Army National Guard has transformed from a force primarily dedicated to domestic missions to a de facto operational reserve for the active-duty Army. VFA has chronicled, state-by-state, the National Guard units that are serving on the frontlines. What is revealed is the severe intensity of combat they have experienced and the insufficient amount of time granted off between tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

National Guard Soldiers have been known for decades as “weekend warriors.” They leave civilian life one weekend a month and two weeks a year to fulfill their duty to their state and country—except for nearly the last seven years. Five brigade combat teams of the National Guard have served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and one, Indiana’s 76th Brigade Combat Team, just left for its third tour. New Jersey is deploying roughly half of its National Guard. Overusing the National Guard and exposing them to high-intensity combat and extended tours is not sustainable. We cannot maintain our military strength if we continue to knowingly compound their war wounds. Read the report

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