FULL PARTNER Ronald Reagan understood Guard needs and delivered

National Guard, Jul 2004 by Prawdzik, Christopher

As President Ronald Reagan was laid to rest early last month, accolades as well as a few criticisms quickly surfaced. But most were tempered by the end of a historic week, as the first state funeral in more than 30 years overtook the country's psyche.

When talk of the Reagan presidency got to specifics, common themes emerged.

The nation's morale was low in the late 1970s. High inflation, skyrocketing interest rates and an energy crisis at home was only punctuated by an uncertainty about defense, particularly the Vietnam War hangover that lingered from the early 1970s, the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the Iran hostage crisis which brought the decade to a close.

At the time, the National Guard was strictly part of the U.S. strategic reserve, existing primarily to deter a Soviet invasion of Western Europe.

The Guard was second team; ill equipped and ill funded to participate as part of a Total Force as quickly and efficiently as the active duty Reagan changed that.

A surprise to some, defense spending actually began to increase around 1978 under President Jimmy Carter, but this came after a sharp decline from 1970 to 1976, where actual defense outlays dropped by about one forth. Under Carter, defense spending rose by about 14 percent.

Fueled by Reagan's desire to end Soviet domination and expansion, however, defense spending skyrocketed 40 percent, from about $213 billion in 1980 to almost $300 billion by 1990.

If the Guard were to become an equal partner in the defense of the nation at home and abroad, this was a start. And many believe the Guard's success today is a result of the changes Reagan made while president.

"(He) did change the structure of our military in the sense that he rebuilt it," said Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletchei; who attended Reagan's funeral. "We defeated communism and the Cold War was won ... then that changed our whole perspective. Now, with the [war against] terrorism, we have the flexibility and the mobility to utilize our reserve forces, and the National Guard has become a lot more essential."

Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, National Guard Bureau chief, also discussed Reagan's legacy with the Guard shortly before attending the funeral.

"The impact that he had on the Cold War opened up a new chapter for the National Guard," he said. "It has made us more essential, and it has driven the need to transform the Guard from a Cold War deterrent force to an operational force."

Under Reagan, the National Guard, along with the rest of the reserve component, began getting the funding for modern tanks, helicopters and planes. And it began deploying to Germany for annual NATO war games and to Central and South America to build roads, schools and clinics, said Guard Bureau historian Renee Hylton.

With greatly increased budgets, the Army recovered irom the damage of the Vietnam War and the neglect of the 1970s. Funding went toward new, high-technology weapons, from tanks to attack helicopters. Regulars and Guardsmen went through tough, realistic exercises at the Army's new the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, Calif.

However, the most important gains in the Army Guard came in manpower. From a low of 346,974 soldiers in 1979, Army Guard end strength grew steadily. Increased recruiting budgets, flexible enlistment options and a professional recruiting force promoted volunteerism. The new Montgomery G.I. Bill provided partial college funding to high school graduates who enlisted in the Guard for six years and successfully completed initial training.

By 1989, the Army Guard reached an historic, peacetime high of 456,960 soldiers.

With the growth in manpower came new units.

The 35th Infantry Division (Mechanized) was activated in 1984, and a year later, the 29th Infantry Division (Light) was reformed.

Increases in the Roundout Program also occurred. Mississippi's 155th Armored Brigade became the third brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, and New York's 27th Infantry Brigade rounded out the new 10th Mountain Division.

In 1990, the 116th Armored Brigade (Idaho, Nevada and Oregon) became the last Army Guard brigade to achieve roundout status.

Overseas deployments became the foundation of Army Guard training as deployments to Europe increased each year. The greatest participation occurred in 1986 when the 32nd Infantry Brigade (Wisconsin) deployed to Germany with all of its personnel and equipment.

In 1985, the first Guardsmen went to the Middle East on "Bright Star" exercises, and in the Pacific, Guardsmen deployed to Korea on "Team Spirit." Army Guard soldiers experienced the best training during tough, realistic maneuvers at the NTC.

For the Air Guard, the Reagan buildup was a time of expansion and increased integration with the Air Force. From a force of 93,379 airmen in 1979, the Air Guard grew to 117,786 personnel.

During the same period, the number of units increased from 1,089 to 1,339. The real growth occurred as flying squadrons raised the number of primary authorized aircraft and the number of support units grew.