NGAUS Statement on the Confirmation of Leon Panetta as Defense Secretary
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NGAUS today released the following statement by retired Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett Jr., the association president:
"National Guardsmen across the country are pleased that the Senate moved swiftly in confirming Leon Panetta to be the next secretary of defense.
"The Department of Defense faces a series of unprecedented challenges in the years ahead, including the daunting task of retooling the force to be able to keep the nation safe and secure in an era of limited resources and increasing threats.
"But in Leon Panetta we have a man who has never shied away from a challenge. He has served as a member of Congress, federal budget director and chief of staff to a president. And in his most recent job as CIA director, he led the effort to take down Osama bin Laden. He is the right man to lead the U.S. military on the difficult way ahead.
"I know the Guard is ready to support him, and we at NGAUS look forward to working with him and sharing with him what makes the Guard so right for America in the 21st century.
"This also is a time to take stock of a man who has done much to further Total Force policy in our armed forces.
"From his first days at the Pentagon, Secretary Robert M. Gates listened to Guard leaders. He shortened overseas tours and provided more money for equipment and training. He also opened doors so the Guard could provide more input into the resource decisions for tomorrow. He leaves behind a National Guard even more ready and resilient than the one he inherited five years ago."
About NGAUS: The association includes nearly 45,000 current or former Guard officers. It was created in 1878 to provide unified National Guard representation in Washington. In their first productive meeting after Reconstruction, militia officers from the North and South formed the association with the goal of obtaining better equipment and training by petitioning Congress for more resources. Today, 133 years later, NGAUS has the same mission.
Internet Availability: This document and other Guard and NGAUS news and information are available at www.ngaus.org.
SOURCE National Guard Association of the U.S.
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