Biden: Obama would include Guard in JCS

[unhappycamper]

Biden: Obama would include Guard in JCS
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Sep 23, 2008 5:50:19 EDT

Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., said Monday that a Barack Obama administration would elevate the status of the National Guard within the Pentagon by giving it a seat at the table with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Speaking before the National Guard Association of the United States, Biden received a cooler reception than did Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who addressed the group Sunday. But the fact that Biden has a long record of working on Guard issues — to include receiving an award from NGAUS for his work — and the fact that his son Beau is in the Delaware National Guard helped him.

Biden said the National Guard deserves a higher profile because 52 percent of people returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are Guard or Reserve members.

An Obama administration also would attempt to reduce the burden on the Guard by increasing the size of the active Army and Marine Corps, Biden said.

“Increasing the size of the active force means they can carry a heavier burden, allowing our Guard to have fewer deployments and more predictable deployments, with more time between them,” Biden said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/military_biden_nationalguard_092208w/%2e