The National Guard has been called on to fight wildfires, support Covid-19 missions and deploy overseas. Congress approved last minute funding for $500 million to reimburse the Guard for expenses related to securing the Capitol following the Jan. 6 attack. However, the current path is unsustainable, according to Nathalie Grogan, research assistant for the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security.
- Grogan said back-to-back overseas deployments since 9/11 along with an increase in missions due to Covid-19 have placed high strain on the National Guard.
- The National Guard cannot be in two places at once and is expected to function at the level of the active duty military without the same resources, said Grogan.
- Grogan said Congress and the Defense Department should reassess the role of the National Guard and conduct an analysis of its mobilizations over the past 20 years.
