The governors have had their National Guard concerns mollified by their conversations with President Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, JCS Chairman—at least for now. Bush told them his Administration planned to maintain the strength of the Guard, despite presenting a 2007 budget that funds some 20,000 fewer personnel than authorized. The two Pentagon leaders echoed the President’s comments. What the governors were told: If the Guard recruits to the authorized number, the Administration will fund the full 350,000.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
