The voters of Chicago will have an opportunity on March 15 to vote a citywide referendum on an issue that will affect the Illinois National Guard, its funding by the federal government and the quality of training it receives as part of the ”Total Force” policy of this country.
Since the early 1970s, the guard`s role has been redefined and is now an integral part of our national defense, providing more than 50 percent of the Army`s combat units and 75 percent of the fighter interceptor aircraft of the Air Force. Deployment of the National Guard in a national emergency is a reality and the quality of its training must be equal to that of the full-time Army with which it will join and integrate.
To restrict overseas training to any part of the world because of a political objection by a city due to the time, purpose or location would create confusion and send a signal that the Illinois National Guard could not be relied upon in event of national emergency. In the past, the federal response was to threaten to withdraw the equipment and federal funding of the state and transfer these assets to another.
The referendum states, ”Considering the current state of civil unrest occurring in Central America, should Illinois National Guard troop training in Central America be halted?” I urge Chicago voters to vote no and allow our Illinois National Guard to train in an overseas environment, and to a
”standard prescribed by Congress.”
