Aruntoday

National Guard vs. National Guard of the United States

I was wondering is you could help me. I'm trying to imporve on the National Guard (NG) and the National Guard of the United States (NGUS) articles. If I'm reading the corresponding U.S. Code correctly, the NG and the NGUS differ but go hand-in-hand. The NG is state organized militia and the NGUS is a reserve component of the Army and Air Force that is made up of federally recognized NG as armed forces. Is this correct. While I know that federal funding is very complex when it comes to distribution, but does each state lobby for a bigger percentage of the pie for their respective NG or is it divided up evenly to each state? While I'm pretty sure Congress approves federal funding, but who approves distribution; the CNGB, SECDEF, or someone else? Thanks. :-) Neovu79 (talk) 22:57, 30 August 2008 (UTC)

I am currently writing up the process for the Army National Guard budget process since I used to run some of the major programs. The process is known as PPBES which involves all Components of the Army (Active, USAR & ARNG). The big picture process is that it is a two-year program (which recycles) with the Program Objective Memorandum, through President's Budget with the final Defense Appropriations Act which is signed into law.

To answer your question - the States normally do not look for a "bigger piece" of the pie other than the Congressional earmark process (House and Senate Armed Services Committe and House and Senate Appropriations Committee). The majority of these earmarks are for Military Construction above and beyond the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installations Management (ACSIM) funding for that year and specific equipment for example SINCGARS above and beyond the NGREA process.

The personnel costs are driven by the force structure (end strength) which covers both Title 10 (accessed into the end strength of the Army and primarily located at NGB) & Title 32 (both full time AGR, technician strength and M-Day). This covers the USC Title 32 regarding funding for IDT weekends (48 drill periods) and 15 days of Annual Training as well as full time manning (Technicians during the weekdays).

OPTEMPO which is in the Training PEG is based on the Battalion Level/Training and Resource Model which funds the costs of vehicles and systems based on a three year moving average of system density and parts used as well as "wedges" for Indirect (personnel) that include medical, uniforms, travel/TDY. It also includes slots for schools, ODT and CTC training wedges. The TRM is computer based modeling system which takes training strategies (miles) multiplies it by the equipment coverage and OPTEMPO costs down to the individual Unit by Unit Identification Code (UIC).

Facilities which are covered under the Installations PEG (Program Evaluation Group) is similar to the OPTEMPO which uses a software system called AIM-HI and HQSRPLANS as well as the Army Stationing and Installation Plan (ASIP). There are cost factors to maintain facilities and ranges. All the data on square footage, age, conditions of the facility are captured in two databases. The cost factors are applied and the resulting data is submitted. The PEG also covers Environmental and Information Costs as well as GSA vehicles. Military Construction is based on a formula for replacement of facilities. The Future Year Defense Plan (FYDP) ranks the construction (major and minor) on a 1-N listing.

The Equipping PEG (EE) is the most confusing for all. There are two primary databases in the system which lists all the equipment required for a unit. This comes from USAFMSA. Units are organized under different SRC's for example a Truck Company that has 5000 gallon fuel tankers is designated as 55727F300 and all the units required to move that fuel are being organized the same (wasn't in the past not all the Basis of Issue Plans - BOIPs were applied equally) to have the same model of trucks, radios etc....The shortfall of equipment is then listed by Special Study Number SSN and is submitted to the various sub-groups and pushed forward. The equipment that can be funded is - with an attempt to smooth it out by the NGREA and Congressional Add-ons. The total for the ARNG is in the billions of dollars range.

The Sustaining PEG covers depot maintenance and is based on formulas and age of systems.

The Organizing PEG is the only program that is not funded but deals with Force Structure Requirements based on the CinCs requirements (used to be two Major Regional Conflicts as well as a peace-keeping and a US disaster). This document then generates the out-year force structure and end-strength and everyone re-organizes to meet those changes.

As for the State's portion of the National Guard bill - States pay for the Adjutant General's salary and his immediate staff (couple of secretaries), State Active Duty (SAD) for manpower and equipment use during disasters (until the President declares it a Federal Disaster then Federal Funding comes into use), and depending on a Master Cooperative Agreement with NGB approximately 25% of funding for new Military Construction and upkeep (MCA's and MCCA's are licensing agreements with NGB and the Army).

When the Defense Appropriations Act is signed into law - the funding goes to the Treasury, who then releases it to DoD who then releases it to the Comptrollers of the Army, Navy and Air Force, then it goes to the Major Command (MACOM) Comptrollers (AC, USAR and ARNG), who then pushes it out to the States to the United States Property and Fiscal Officer (he is the guy on the blame line and who is has Title 10 authority for both the Army and Air Guard), then to the different directorates like the G1, G3, DOL who creates the authority for units to buy/fix or do whatever is required.

States always need more but the MDEP and AMSCO structure of the Budget is pretty rigid and you have to ask for the right flavor of money from NGB from the various Directorates who do withhold a portion of the funds prior to the release to the States.

16:35, 10 September 2008 (UTC)