Granite State lawmakers in Concord are preparing to fight over the control of the New Hampshire National Guard.
According to legiscan.com, “This bill limits the activation of the New Hampshire National Guard to only those times where the United States Congress has passed an official action pursuant to Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution.”
The Defend the Guard Act would insist there be a proclamation of war before the New Hampshire National Guard can be deployed in other parts of the world.
According to WMUR, “A House committee voted Friday to amend the latest version of the bill to delay its effective date until a total of five states join the nationwide effort, but it is still recommending that the House reject the bill. A floor fight is expected from Global War on Terror veterans who want an end to what they call regime-change wars.”
I would agree with the decision that the committee made. Likewise, I support the veterans’ desire to end regime change wars. Regime change wars cause instability and unnecessary casualties, which is never something desired by anyone, and this should not be happening.
State Rep. Skip Rollins, R-Newport, told WMUR, “I, as a Gold Star Father who lost a son, never want to see another American boot on foreign soil ever again, unless we have a declaration of war.”
This reiterates how I feel regarding the lives of American soldiers and how they should only be at risk when there is clear authorization and purpose and with the heartfelt message from state representative Skip Rollins, it really puts that into perspective. We do not want any American soldiers to be harmed.
I feel it is important to note that in the WMUR article, funding plays a key role in this bill.
“Some refer to it as ‘defund the guard,’ not defend the guard, and they resent having their name officially on the bill,” said state Rep. Michael Moffett, R-Loudon.
People are thinking that this bill will essentially cause the state to lose great amounts of money in federal funding. This causes a negative domino effect which can weaken the overall support that the National Guard receives.
I certainly think that is a serious issue as well as a concern because the National Guard and other military branches are here to protect us and they deserve our support.
Ultimately, I believe that this bill is perilous and poses too many risks, and will reduce the vital support needed for the National Guard.
Ali Barretta can be contacted at
