National Guard Bureau gets four-star status

[unhappycamper]

National Guard Bureau gets four-star status
Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Jan 29, 2008 18:35:12 EST

The plan to elevate the chief of the National Guard Bureau to a four-star and raise the Guard’s status within the Defense Department hierarchy became law on Monday.

The National Guard Empowerment Act was included in the 2008 defense authorization bill, which President Bush signed on Monday. It establishes the Guard bureau as a defense activity, taking it out from under the Army. It also calls for the chief of the bureau to be a four-star officer designated as principal advisor on Guard issues to the defense secretary and top military leaders, and allows the bureau chief to serve until he or she is 68 instead of 64.

Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum has been chief of the bureau since April 2003. His term is expected to end in April 2009. It’s unknown if he will be nominated for the four-star position or if officials will wait until his successor is named.

As part of the new command structure called for by the law, the bureau would be responsible for coordinating on behalf of the Pentagon with state adjutants general, other federal agencies and combatant commands on personnel, budgets and operations.

The defense policy bill increases the number of flag officer billets in combatant commands by five, to a total of 15, to make room for Guard and reserve officers to receive top assignments. One job — deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command — is specifically reserved for a Guard officer unless one is named as the commander.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/army_guardempowerment_080129w/

[lapfog_1]

1. "taking it out from under the Army"

and putting a four star in charge...

Does that mean the Guard gets to be on the Joint Chiefs?