Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said he's committed to ensuring that deployments don't leave state governors short of enough Guard troops to carry out their state missions during emergencies.
It's a balancing act, considering the major role the reserve components are playing in support of the global war on terror and other military missions worldwide, he acknowledged.
In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee in February, Blum said 120,000 Guard members were deployed in 44 countries around the world. The Army Guard makes up more than 40 percent of the combat forces in Iraq and the Air National Guard, about one-third of Air Force's combat power in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.
Blum said state governors have demonstrated overwhelmingly that they understand their National Guard members are needed to reinforce the active Army and Air Force overseas, particularly during the war on terror.
But they also recognize the important work they could be required to carry out at home in the event of emergencies, insurrections, attacks or acts of nature, he said.
"We will make our fair contribution," Blum said the governors tell him. "But we don't want to make a disproportionate contribution that leaves our own constituents at risk."
