Here’s a link to the Senate resolution (S. Res. 355) we noted in the last “Daily Report” that is supposed to put the Administration on notice that plans to cut the Army Guard and Air Guard will not be a slam dunk. It was fronted by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, and signed by another 31 senators. Aside from the consult-first request, the Senators also want to see the Pentagon numbers. They assert that, compared to the active force, the Guard is cheaper to maintain and operate—providing more bang for the buck—so the lawmakers want the Pentagon to prove how proposed cuts will achieve savings or more efficiency.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.