Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) released the following statement on the release of the final report of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves: 

 “I want to express my gratitude to the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves on the release of its final report.  The members and staff of the Commission have done yeoman’s work examining the changes needed to ensure that the Guard and Reserves are able to meet the national security requirements of the United States.

 “Congress has already acted on a number of the Commission’s interim recommendations, with last year’s defense authorization including provisions to elevate the status of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, improve interagency cooperation, and restore equipment stocks for the National Guard and Reserve component.  As the Commission points out, we must fully recognize the National Guard and Reserves’ critical operational contributions to U.S. security at home and abroad.  I know that the House Armed Services Committee will pay close attention to the Commission’s final recommendations as we begin our work on this year’s defense authorization bill.”

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