WASHINGTON, March 12 (UPI) -- One of the U.S. Air Force's top generals has pledged strong support for the National Guard and Reserves.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., the nominee to head U.S. Northern Command, or NORTHCOM, and the North America Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, in his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday, said he understood the missions of both commands required adherence to the highest standards of vigilance, service, and integrity. It would be a "sacred honor" to protect the homeland, he said.
Renuart said one of his primary goals would be to establish a better understanding of the needs of the Guard and Reserve and work to fund and resupply them.
His comments came after the U.S. Commission on the National Guard and Reserves warned that the National Guards and Reserve were ill-equipped and inadequately trained to respond to crises.
"The equipment readiness of our Guard and Reserve today is totally unacceptable," said Gen. Arnold Punaro, the chairman of the commission, in a press conference on March 1. He said that 88 percent of the National Guard units in the United States was not combat-ready.
Renuart said that if confirmed, he would "join the men and women of NORAD and NORTHCOM in dedicating ourselves to the defense of the homeland."
"We'll work closely with our federal and state partners, our interagency partners, the National Guard, and the countries of Canada and Mexico, with whom we maintain a close relationship," he said.
NORTHCOM was established after Sept. 11, 2001 and is tasked with protecting the United States in the event of man-made or natural disasters by providing military support at the request of the president or secretary of defense.
