Harrison Township, MI – U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) today made the following statement regarding the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s comments that he will not endorse the legislation before the U.S. Congress making the Chief of the National Guard Bureau a member of the Joint Chiefs. Miller said:

“I sincerely hope every member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee will support the legislation to grant the Chief of the National Guard a seat at the Joint Chiefs of Staff and that the full U.S. Senate will pass this legislation without further delay. Our citizen-soldiers have served and sacrificed for our nation and have been an integral part of our nation’s forward deployed combat power, serving alongside their active duty counterparts. We owe Guardsmen and their leaders an equal position in order to advocate effectively on their behalf and I believe we must grant the Chief of the National Guard a full membership on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“Although I appreciate General Dempsey’s comments, I disagree. Each of the four Armed Services represented on the Joint Chiefs of Staff represent the needs of their respective services, but the needs of the Army and Air Guard are substantially unique and only the Chief of the Guard can speak to those needs effectively and accurately. Guardsmen perform vital missions, such as disaster recovery and helping the Border Patrol to secure the homeland, which are distinct from Department of Defense missions and priorities. The world is a constantly evolving place and is vital that our military organizational structure reflect those changes as appropriate.

“Earlier this year I along with my colleague, Representative Nick Rahall (WV-03), offered an amendment to the FY 2012 National Defense Authorization Act that for the first time would grant the National Guard a full seat at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This amendment passed in the U.S. House unanimously, but still requires action by the U.S. Senate before it becomes law. The U.S. Congress has this opportunity to ensure that the 470,000 National Guardsmen who serve our nation with skill and honor receive a seat at the table to independently provide their voice on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

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