Bond announces $500M federal funding for National Guard

At the 1140th Engineer Battalion headquarters in Cape Girardeau on Friday, Sen. Kit Bond announced that he has secured an additional $500 million in funding for National Guard equipment. He and Sen. Patrick Leahy, of Vermont, fought to secure the funds through the supplemental appropriations bill for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, according to a news release from Bond.

Capt. Scot Ratcliff, of the 1140th Engineer Battalion administrative office, led Bond on a tour of the battalion's motor pool before Bond made his announcement.

"As a National Guard, we definitely struggle with equipment issues," Ratcliff said.

U.S. Sen. Kit Bond speaks to members of the 1140th Engineer Battalion at the Missouri National Guard Armory Friday in Cape Girardeau. He announced he secured $500 million in additional federal funds for National Guard equipment. (Fred Lynch)

Bond said the additional funds constitute a first step toward providing proper support to the National Guard, a force that has the dual purpose of serving in emergency situations at home and in combat abroad.

"Despite its efforts, the Guard is often on the short end of the stick at the Pentagon," Bond said.

Ratcliff said additional funding is necessary to purchase modern equipment that meets the needs of the National Guard as its responsibilities and strategies evolve. He said this includes wheeled, high-water vehicles and updated weapons to enable troops to become proficient with their use during training. According to a news release from Bond, the funds will be used to purchase items such as high-water trucks, military Humvees, communications equipment and night-vision

goggles.

Ratcliff, whose battalion was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2004 to 2005, said he is unsure of how much of the funds will make their way to Southeast Missouri. He said it depends on the way the money is distributed from the federal government down to the state and local levels. He said he is unsure when that will

occur.

Bond and Leahy have presented the National Guard Empowerment Act as an amendment to the 2010 defense authorization bill, currently on the Senate floor. The amendment calls for the chief of the National Guard to be given a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to ensure that the vice chief has the rank of at least lieutenant

general.

Bond said the chief of the National Guard deserves "a seat at the table."

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