Subject: Tennessee National Guard Press Release 05-32

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Randy Harris
13 July 2005

NASHVILLE - Changes are ahead for the U.S. military. And changes are ahead for the Tennessee National Guard.

The transformation to a lighter, more mobile Army will affect most of Tennessee's 150 units.

Transformation is the process whereby the Department of Defense is overhauling the U. S. military and defense establishment to enable it to counter 21st century threats most effectively.

Transformation is a change in the way the military fights, in the way they train and think, how they develop leaders and approach jobs and most importantly, in the way all of the services work together.

Warfare is changing and the military is changing with it.

The vision for the National Guard is to respond to current and future worldwide commitments of the National Security Strategy with community-based, dedicated citizen-soldiers and airmen; well trained, organized, and supported with state-of-the-art technology and equipment.

The changes in the Tennessee Army National Guard will eliminate more than 1,300 positions to include two Brigade Commands.

"Planning efforts are still underway to determine the re-stationing of some units and the consolidation of armories," said Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, Tennessee's Adjutant General. "We continue to address the issues of command and control, the ability for units to train together, and the ever changing demographics of our state as they affect our ability to fulfill both our wartime and state emergency response missions."

The transformation will add Military Police, Signal and other combat support units, while downsizing Armor, Artillery and Engineer units.

The re-stationing of units throughout the state will enhance the Tennessee Guard's ability to respond in the event of natural disaster, civil disturbance or Homeland Security events. The changes will also allow recruitment of females in areas where they have not been able to serve in the past.

"Although this transformation will change the face of the Tennessee Army National Guard as we now know it, we feel that the moves we are evaluating are what is best for the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee National Guard," Hargett said.

Press releases concerning the Tennessee Military Department to include the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard can be found at http://www.tnmilitary.org/PressReleases.htm.