How ready is your state's National Guard?
USA Today
June 14, 2007

Most representatives from National Guard units across the USA say they are ready to handle whatever domestic disaster comes along. Some, however, are concerned about equipment missing due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the need to replace aging equipment.

Correspondents from across the USA spoke with governors, National Guard commanders and public affairs officers to determine each unit's equipment and preparedness levels for dealing with national disasters. The highlighted percentages listed are the estimated percentage of domestic equipment available to the National Guard in that state, provided by those sources. In some cases, no estimate of the percentage of available equipment was provided. Some sources cited security reasons, others were not certain enough of their inventory to provide a number. Shortages vary by unit, 1A, 7A. (N/A means percentage not available.)

State Equipment available Preparedness status
Alabama 56% The Alabama National Guard already has received "most" of 100 promised Humvees, according to public affairs analyst Norman Arnold. Other heavy equipment, including three generators and two forklift trucks, should be delivered in the coming weeks, Arnold said.
Alaska 50% Alaska recently decreased its equipment inventory level intentionally, according to Gen. Craig Campbell, because much of it was outdated. The most needed equipment, such as Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment, is available, Campbell said.
Arizona 35% Maj. Paul Aguirre, spokesman for the Arizona National Guard, said they have 35% of their equipment on hand for national emergencies. Aguirre emphasized that domestic equipment availability and needs vary dramatically by state, depending on whether the primary threat is hurricanes, terrorism, earthquakes, forest fires, etc. "We feel properly equipped to act ... in a supporting role to emergency first-responders" if a catastrophe should occur, he said.
Arkansas N/A Heavy equipment lacking by the Arkansas National Guard might affect how quickly it could respond to potential natural disasters, said Matt DeCample, press secretary for Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe. Capt. Chris Heathscott, public affairs officer for the Arkansas National Guard, said the state is fully equipped to handle any disaster, and in the case of a state emergency, the primary need is personnel, not equipment.
California 50% California's National Guard may be short more than 1,550 pieces of equipment, but the state is still prepared for earthquakes, fires or any other disasters, said Maj. Gen. William Wade. Most of the equipment is 30 to 40 years old, which he says is "typical" for the National Guard nationwide. Any "new" equipment he gets is still 8 to 15 years old. He's also short 800 Humvees, 700 medium tactical vehicles and 50 heavy lifter trucks.
Colorado 64% The state's National Guard has one of the highest equipment inventory levels in the nation. Col. Kenneth Sanchez said the Colorado's Guard was one of the earliest units to go and as a result brought much of their equipment back home. Fewer than 1,000 Guardsmen are now deployed and Sanchez said not one of the unit's trucks is deployed. Their equipment is not new or perfect, he said. "Do we need some stuff? Yeah," he said. "But it's nothing."
Connecticut 48% The National Guard is currently equipped to handle emergencies, but may not be down the road if shortfalls aren't addressed, said Lt. Col. John Whitford. Right now, the Guard does not always have enough equipment on hand for training, he said. Among what's missing: 200 Humvees, one Chinook helicopter, 21 vehicles, more than 600 weapons and about 1,500 pairs of night-vision goggles.
Delaware 80% Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, adjutant general of the Delaware National Guard, said he believes Delaware is in "better shape than a lot of other states," in part because his guard forces have not had to leave large amounts of equipment overseas for follow-on forces. The Delaware Guard has left behind less than 1% of its equipment overseas — less than 15 vehicles and about a dozen generators, he said.
Florida 54% Lt. Col. Ron Tittle said supplies reached their low point in 2004-05, when the Guard had about 30-40% of the vehicles, communication equipment and other gear. Even then, Tittle said, the Guard responded sufficiently to six hurricanes that slammed into heavily populated areas in those years. "But we're in better shape today than we were back then," he said.
Georgia 64% Georgia's National Guard is prepared to handle a domestic emergency, said Maj. Gen. David Poythress, Georgia's top military official. This is due to the small number of troops deployed in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Qatar, he said. The Guard's 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was well equipped enough to help in the relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina, Poythress said, and the Guard still loans equipment to other units.
Hawaii 90% Hawaii's National Guard is operating with close to 90%of its allotted equipment, said spokesman Maj. Chuck Anthony. "I think we're a lot better off than some of the other places around the country that I read and hear about," he said.
Idaho 100% Lt. Col. Stephanie Dowling, public affairs officer, said the state has 100% of the equipment it needs to respond to a state emergency. Idaho Guardsmen were deployed to Iraq in 2004-05 and only about 250 remain today. Dowling said all of their equipment has come back to the state.
Illinois 42% Col. Tracy Nelson, director of logistics for the Guard, said critical areas include Humvees, trucks and night- vision goggles. Illinois has only between 7% and 8% of its equipment overseas, with 10% of its Guardsmen. Nelson said it is a plus that when the equipment is replenished, it is with new equipment.
Indiana N/A Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels says the state's 13,000 guard troops are adequately equipped and funded. Daniels said the state is in relatively good shape to battle floods and other disasters that might occur. Staff Sgt. Lesley Newport of the Indiana National Guard agreed. "Are there other things that we would like to have? Yes. But that is an issue we have faced year-in and year-out."
Iowa 45% Iowa National Guard officials are more concerned about having enough equipment available for combat training than for disaster response. Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood, the guard's spokesman, says Iowa has 45% of the equipment on hand that the state needs. "You need dependable vehicles, some communications equipment, and people (for disaster response).You don't need machine guns to help people during a flood," he said.
Kansas 50% The Kansas National Guard is "stretched pretty thin," said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the top military commander in the state. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius wrote a letter to President Bush after 95% of Greensburg, Kan., was destroyed when a deadly tornado swept through the area May 4. Bunting said with the equipment shortage, the recovery effort in Greensburg was slowed "quite a bit." The Guard is primarily short vehicles, which resulted in the delay in mobilizing equipment to Greensburg.
Kentucky 50% Gen. Donald Storm, state adjutant general for the Kentucky National Guard, said equipment levels have definitely decreased in Kentucky since prior to Sept. 11, 2001. Still, Storm said he is confident that the Kentucky Guard has what it needs to respond to any type of natural disaster.
Louisiana 50% Public Affairs Officer Michael Kazmierzak said Louisiana's National Guard equipment shortage "varies from unit to unit." For a Hurricane Katrina-scale disaster, even at 100%, he said the National Guard would need to bring in outside resources.
Maine 53% Maj. Gen. Bill Libby, the top military commander in Maine, said the equipment inventory shortage is due to some equipment being left overseas. Libby also said the Guard is loaning much of its engineering equipment to the Alabama National Guard for training purposes.
Maryland 66% The Maryland National Guard has 66% of domestic emergency equipment on-hand and 50% of all equipment, according to public affairs officer Lt. Wayde Minami. Commander Bruce Tuxill reported that the state is short more than 300 Humvees and trucks, two-thirds of the generators, and about half of the radios and communications equipment needed.
Massachusetts N/A Brig. Gen. Oliver Mason of the Massachusetts National Guard said there has never been an instance where the Massachusetts Guard has been unable to support a domestic response in Massachusetts. "Although we are stretched thinner than we would optimally like to be due to the mobilizations of personnel and equipment, we remain ready and able to respond to the type of emergencies that we have typically had in the past," he said. "However, if the magnitude were to be greater, our response capabilities may require us to seek mutual aid from our state partners sooner."
Michigan 44% Col. Mark Cosgrove, chief of staff for the Michigan Army National Guard, said Guard units are prepared to respond to both state and federal emergencies. Cosgrove said the inventory level percentages ebb and flow constantly. Also, when a Guard unit returns, he said, it usually does not come back with 100% of its equipment.
Minnesota 50% Although the Minnesota National Guard has about half of its authorized equipment, its successful recruitment and retention efforts mean its human resources are well stocked, said Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen about 13% of the state's authorized dual-use equipment shipped overseas, Lt. Col. Kevin Olson said. The state has yet to be issued about 37% of its authorized equipment, he said.
Mississippi 53% Maj. Gen. Harold Cross, adjutant general of the Mississippi National Guard, stressed that personnel and training are adequate for both the state and combat missions, although a hurricane may force him to draw assistance from other states.
Missouri 52% Maj. Gen. King Sidwell, Missouri's adjutant general, has asked for more heavy equipment, including Humvees and light, medium and heavy tactical vehicles. Guard spokesman Capt. Jamie Melchert said Missouri is "fully capable" of supporting its state missions with the equipment it has.
Montana 80% Montana's National Guard, desperately short of manpower and equipment a couple of years ago, is nearly at full strength now, said Maj. Garth Scott. These days, the Montana Guard is short only on Humvees. About 170 of its 255 Humvees are being reconditioned in Maine, Scott said.
Nebraska 50%-60% Helicopters are the item the Nebraska National Guard needs most, said Maj. Gen. Roger Lempke, the top military commander in the state. In addition to the helicopter shortage, some equipment has been left overseas upon a unit's return. Lempke said the Guard is now less inclined to loan equipment to other states.
Nevada 90% The Nevada Guard currently has about 90% of the equipment it had prior to Sept. 11, 2001 but has never been fully equipped to "ideal- world" authorized levels, according to Capt. April Conway of the guard's public affairs office. "They rarely, if ever, fund you for all these things," she said. "I don't know that any guard unit ever has."
New Hampshire N/A Despite having lost some vehicles in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, New Hampshire is fully prepared to help out with emergencies or to loan equipment and personnel to other states, spokesman Maj. Greg Heilshorn said. Citing security concerns, he declined to discuss specific readiness levels.
New Jersey 95% The New Jersey National Guard is equipped to handle all state missions and is minimally affected today by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said spokesman Lt. Col. James Garcia. "Being in the tri-state area, we have more equipment dedicated to homeland defense, especially after 9/11," Garcia said.
New Mexico 34% The New Mexico National Guard has the lowest equipment inventory level of any state or territory, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office about Guard readiness. This equipment shortage is not due to troop deployment in Iraq, said Chief Juan Espinosa, secretary of the general staff, but because the Army has not yet replenished the Guard's inventory after New Mexico updated much of its structure.
New York 40% The New York National Guard still has enough equipment to deal with a growing list of missions, from storms to regional floods to homeland security at nuclear plants, airports and New York City transportation hubs, Guard spokeswoman Christine Anderson said. The state has 100% of authorized helicopters and 72% of engineering equipment, but only 35% of its trucks and other vehicles, and 19% of its chemical detectors and alarms, said Lt. Col. Paul Fanning.
North Carolina 55% The movement of equipment to Iraq and Afghanistan has left North Carolina with about 55% of what the National Guard is supposed to have for its state and federal missions, Gov. Mike Easley said. With 59% expected to be in place by September, Easley said the state would be ready for a hurricane as strong as Category 3 — the classification of Hurricane Fran when it reached the state in 1996.
North Dakota 56% Bill Prokopyk, public information specialist, said the North Dakota National Guard has everything it needs to respond on the domestic front. The Guard actually has more equipment this year than it did last year, Prokopyk said. It has five Black Hawk helicopters when last year it only had one.
Ohio 61% The Ohio National Guard has 350 heavy trucks, 900 Humvees and enough equipment to handle the lesser disasters that tend to strike this Midwestern state. But, according to Ohio National Guard spokesman Mark Wayda, it should have 1,000 trucks and 1,000 additional Humvees. It's also short night-vision goggles and Black Hawk helicopters.
Oklahoma N/A Maj. Gen. Harry "Bud" Wyatt said for the most part, Oklahoma is "OK right now" when it comes to equipment for its National Guard unit. Since 2004, Oklahoma actually has seen its equipment levels increase as units are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Wyatt said. "We're still not at 100%," he said. Citing security concerns, he declined to discuss specific percentages.
Oregon 49% Military deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan have seriously degraded the equipment levels and capability of Oregon's National Guard troops, said Jake Weigler, a spokesman for Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski. For example, the Oregon National Guard is authorized to have 735 vehicles such as Humvees, transport trucks and tanker trucks. Currently, the Guard has 399 vehicles, significantly fewer than five years ago.
Pennsylvania 49% Maj. Gen. Jessica Wright said the equipment situation for domestic missions is reaching a crisis point. Not only is there not enough equipment, but what the guard has is ancient and getting used at a higher rate because of the war. The Guard's 2.5-ton trucks are between 35- and 40-years old. "We are stretched to capacity," Wright said.
Rhode Island 45% The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have negatively affected equipment inventory, said spokesman Lt. Col. Denis Riel, public affairs officer for the Rhode Island Guard. He said the unit still is fully prepared to deploy a large number of troops for a state or national emergency.
South Carolina 80% South Carolina's National Guard has more than 80% of its equipment on hand and is in good shape for handling emergencies at home, said Lt. Col. Pete Brooks, spokesman for the state's Army and Air National Guard.
South Dakota 54% During deployments in Iraq, South Dakota's Army National Guard has had to leave $22 million worth of equipment behind to aid the war effort. That puts the total equipment shortage back home in South Dakota at $102 million. But the Guard has enough resources to handle emergency-level natural disasters such as tornadoes and floods, said Guard spokesman Maj. Orson Ward.
Tennessee 60% When 10,000 soldiers of the Tennessee Army National Guard returned home in 2005 and 2006 from a year's tour in Iraq, they left more than $250 million in equipment over there. But the state Guard's in-state mission has not been compromised, said Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, the state's adjutant general. The Guard is authorized to have more than 1,300 Humvees, but currently has only 500.
Texas 52% A disaster would have to be pretty big to overwhelm Texas, said Lt. Gen. Charles Rodriguez, the top military commander in the state. However, when it comes to a national emergency, Rodriguez said that is where the Texas National Guard comes up short on equipment. Items such as night-vision goggles and helicopters have been sent overseas. "We're in a very good position right now for most storms," he said.
Utah 65%-70% Lisa Roskelley, a spokeswoman for Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's office, said the only element that could be lacking is the amount of Black Hawk helicopters available to assist in fighting wildfires. "We acknowledge that we do not have 100% of the equipment we need," Maj. Hank McIntire, said. "It's a net decrease for us. We don't have every piece of equipment we would need to train."
Vermont 49% The wars have reduced the vehicle fleet by about half, said spokesman Capt. Keith Davio, mainly Humvees and M35 trucks. The missing equipment could affect the Vermont Guard's ability to respond to a natural disaster, which this time of year typically consists of flooding, the captain said.
Virginia 64% Public affairs officer Capt. Dayna Rowden said Virginia was authorized for more equipment in 2005, part of a reorganization that will transform the guard "from a Cold War army to a 21st-century organization." She added that the Virginia Guard has "more wheeled vehicles and critical equipment than we had five years ago."
Washington 55% Keith Kosik, deputy public affairs officer for the Washington Military Department, said that while part of the equipment shortage stems from the Guard having to leave equipment behind on overseas deployments, the Washington Guard has never been fully equipped. The state is short on Humvees, trucks and engineer equipment, public affairs officer Maj. Philip Osterli said.
West Virginia 50% Col. Jim Hoyer, director of the joint staff for the West Virginia National Guard, said "we are starting to see a push of some new equipment which is primarily a function of bringing new units onboard." However, during the past 18 months, Hoyer said inventory levels have remained relatively stagnant.
Wisconsin 75% Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, Wisconsin National Guard spokesman, said that while some resources are overseas, his state's guard has enough resources on hand to respond to stateside emergencies. His state has nearly 75% of its equipment on hand and available, some 57,000 items. "Ranging from French horns to howitzers and everything in between," Donovan said.
Wyoming 56% Deidre Forster, public affairs officer for the Wyoming National Guard, said Wyoming Guardsmen are ready to respond to any emergency situation despite having just 56% of its inventory available.
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