BRAC and the Guard

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Originally posted by SnakeT38:

it's about an airplane.

Noted. Pretty frightening.

Originally posted by SnakeT38:

I tried to explain the reverse of your "why is the Guard set up so goofy" statement. As I said before, "empire building" didn't start in the Guard.

Noted.

I wasn't in the Guard when they went from 18 to 15 PAA fighter squadrons. I'm going to ask around a see if I can find out why that happened. Anyone out there know? Did that happen at the same time that they changed from fighter groups to fighter wings? Maybe a compromise bone thrown to the self-serving wanna be O-6s? "If I give up some of my iron I can have more O-6s...sure!"

I do know this, 24 PAA is the right way to organize a unit.

As for being taken seriously and empire building...we can't have it both ways.

The ARC can pony up to chow down on exactly our proportional fair share of the workload (like regularly scheduled stand alone AEF deployments) and then be expected to flow into the TFPDD early on a major warplan. Probably not a good bargain since we don't normally execute the TPFDD plans as written by unit anymore. AEF timing is almost everything.

Or...

We can make a deal that if we happen to be in the AEF bucket at the time of a war we will fight it. We will also fight if we can have a little warning which is not that much to ask since the days of chop chop Ivan's comin' are over. What we agree to do is maintain equipment and people at an above average level of readiness and we'll ramp up when we need to.

One or the other.

[Gas Man]

Originally posted by Rainman A-10:

The ARC can pony up to chow down on exactly our proportional fair share of the workload (like regularly scheduled stand alone AEF deployments) and then be expected to flow into the TFPDD early on a major warplan. Probably not a good bargain since we don't normally execute the TPFDD plans as written by unit anymore. AEF timing is almost everything.

Or...

We can make a deal that if we happen to be in the AEF bucket at the time of a war we will fight it. We will also fight if we can have a little warning which is not that much to ask since the days of chop chop Ivan's comin' are over. What we agree to do is maintain equipment and people at an above average level of readiness and we'll ramp up when we need to.

One or the other.

You said it. That is what the guard is here to do.

My Dad lives out in the country and is on the Volunteer Fire Dept. They do a little training once a month, and they have a bright shiny fire engine that they take care of like nobody's business. If a fire pops up in their area, they go put it out. If they are in town for something doing training and while they are there, a fire pops up, they are going to go help out, with out even thinking twice about it as they feel it's their duty. However their fire engine was bought and paid for from the local county taxes and then they get some money from the state, and also some money from the federal Govt. If a statewide emergency occurs they are on the way to help out. Now let's say the fire engine in town breaks down because of over use, or what ever (improper maintenance and maintaining due to lack of experience and over use, -vs- the old guys in the volunteer fire dept's beautiful better than from the factory truck maintained by a part timer that has been working machinery his whole life and when it is used is taken care of instead of having the shit beat out of it. It may be a hand me down from the city fire dept, but it is in way better shape than when they got it and is even in better shape than the city's nearly new fire truck.) is it right to take the Volunteer fire dept's fire truck just because yours broke down and leave a whole county of individuals without fire protection? Sure, it actually belongs to the state, however, the money it took to keep it in the condition it's in, and for that matter, to buy it in the first place was allocated for the volunteer fire dept and the people of the county. What about the local fire fighters. If you want to keep being a fire fighter you have to now move with the truck. "BS" my Dad says, "I was trying to do my part in helping out the community. I went to every fire in the county over the last 15 years, and 3 natural disasters in the state, plus on the weekend when I wanted to be with my kids and wife I was busy training, so that if I was ever called out I would know what I was doing. I do get a little pay for training, however my original reason for joining was to help my community, as well as my state if they needed it, however don't call me "unpatriotic" because my home and family are out in the country and now I don't want to move to the city just to be treated like a lesser life form when an actual fire breaks out and I show up to help. Also now you want me to still not get the same benefits as the full time fire fighters, but have all of the same training requirements show up and work 10 times more often than I ever used to, and do the same dangerous job they are doing, all that with a crappy retirement? Blow me!" is what my Dad would say. As much as he liked doing the job and hanging with his fire pals, he isn't going to move, and for that matter, your not going to take his truck if he and the rest of the community has anything to say about it. Would you expect them not to even ***** if you said you were going to leave them high and dry. Especially after you are going to take the beautiful fire engine my dad and the other guys have sweated over and abuse the hell out of it, run it into the ground just like you did your last truck just until you get the new giant 40' truck with 12 water nozzles on it. You may need that new truck, but not at the expense of my dad and the rest of the county.

No, they aren't talking about my Dad's fire truck being taken away in case you were worried (I'm sure you were sweating it there for a minute), but ya catch my point? No? Well I do tend to ramble on and on about nothing. That's why all of my friends like me so much, because I can talk all day and not say a thing. Hmmmm, maybe I should become a politician.

[ 31. July 2005, 23:28: Message edited by: KIPP ]

[STR1CK]

Kipp

Really nice job!! I think your story was crystal clear to every Guardsmen and Reservist that read it. Once again nicely put.

[herkbum]

KIPP,

Great analogy! That is going up on the squadron wall!!

[Guest OldHercNav]

Liked the story, Kipp. Another Governor appears to be throwing a lawsuit in the fray to keep units open. Also, keep your eyes on the BRAC hearing 11 August concerning the Air Guard recommendations.

Oregon Governor to Sue over BRAC

[Guest ELan]

Awesome post KIPP!!!

[Guest RJ201]

Hello everyone I was picked up by the 186 ARW earlier this year. Even though they are on the base realignment list it is not suppose to take place until 2010, so everyone says. This week I recieved a call from my Commanding Officer saying that I would not be able to go to AMS until 2008 if not later, so long as they get a new flying mission. I was wondering about the other bases that are suppose to be realigned has it happened yet? Can bases that were BRAC'd actually get new flying missions? When will these bases know for sure what will happen in 2011?

[ 04. November 2006, 05:29: Message edited by: Toro ]

[herkbum]

Remember-BRAC does not necessarily mean "closing", it also incorporates "realignments". So, yes, BRAC units can get a new flying mission. I am a member of a "BRAC'd" unit and there is a very real chance that we will get a follow-on mission. What will it be? Who knows, there are some options out there. But, the way I look at it, it's final when the new planes show up on the ramp. We are told that we will know what the mission is going to be in "two weeks". That started about 6 months ago.

I'm not sure how other BRAC units are handling their UPT slots, we are still sending our selectees as if nothing has changed. So, as an optimist, there is hope for BRAC units.

If you have any other questions, shoot. If I don't know the answer and will do my best to find the info for you.

Basically, we will know the new mission when Big Blue decides they want to let us know. There is no way to predict when that will be.

[ 05. November 2006, 21:37: Message edited by: herkbum ]

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Unfortunately, you are dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane called BRAC that swept through the Guard.

Few major issues are handled cleanly in the Guard because of the wacky lack of clear chain of command. The National Guard Bureau (NGB) has no command authority over any of the state units. They cannot tell the units what to do. No kidding.

You probably don't care to know all the details but you might want to know why your unit can't give you something a little more solid.

Wing CCs and State TAG/AGs will literally lobby for their unit and I'm sure that is happening with your unit right now. They work with their Governor and Congressmen and Senators. They lobby at the Guard Bureau. They work through their spies they have on staff at the Guard Bureau (some units are very good at this tactic). They do whatever it takes. Imagine all the units doing this at the same time. Units form "secret" alliances. No one is safe and no one can be trusted. It is like Survivor. I am overstating slightly but honestly...it's nuts.

The Guard Bureau has no chain of command authority over the state units but they do hold a position of great influence since they are the folks Big Blue is expecting to answer the tough questions like "which of these emerging missions would you like and where do you want to put them." The Air Staff does not want to hear from every single autonomous Guard unit.

The Guard Bureau is supposed to ask Big Blue what the programmatic plans for the future are and then communicate those plans to the states. Big Blue may not always be up front with the NGB, especially if they don't want the Guard to look a certain way or have certain missions or equipment. The Air Staff knows what they want to the Guard to look like and they know the Guard won't like it. Big Blue has some very powerful tools in their tool box. The Guard has some tools of their own but those tools are mostly political. The politicians care more about jobs than they do about iron and very few politicians are willing to burn their political green stamps just to make a Guard unit happy with their mission or their aircraft type. minimize the net loss of jobs...politicians are happy.

Blah blah blah...I hope you get the picture. There is really no way your Wing/CC can accurately predict what is going to happen. Something that looks like a sure thing can litterally change overnight in the Guard. There were tens of thousands of Guard members (including Wg/CCs) in total shock and dismay on the day of the BRAC announcement. There were many behind the scenes deals and 11th hour changes that the NGB had going with Big Blue. Most of the units were completely caught off balance. NGB asked for rational inputs from the states, the states remained parochial, NGB made the call and a deal to make it look like it was all on the BRAC folks to come up with a final plan that looked very different from the original plan.

NGB had to make a call. Units who were smart knew they should work the NGB (not their pols) and they did so with their spies and by hiring consultants who were retired NGB power players that knew their way around the building. It was an ugly but highly effective technique.

The Guard is more like a defense contractor than a military organization in many ways. Units that understand this are most effective at getting what they want.

BL: I would suggest you talk to your unit and ask if they would support you if you interviewed with other units, if that is what you want to do. Otherwise you'll just have to hang on for the ride.

Good luck.

[Guest wilco]

As a member of a former BRAC unit and having completed a NGB tour, the previous post by Rainman was the most accurate and dead on post posted on this board. I say this begrudgingly as well.