“As I talk to Guard Members and businesses in Maine, the concern is that the Reserve and Guard have become much more of an active duty force called upon repeatedly for repeated deployments, and it’s making it harder to maintain the support of the employer community and [draw] potential recruits,” said Senator King during today’s hearing. “As we are declining in force levels, it seems to me inevitable that there will be greater demands on the Guard and Reserve – and perhaps the answer is that everyone just needs to know what the deal is going in in terms of predictability – but I am concerned that we might undermine support for the Guard and Reserve, unless we can clarify what their role is going to be on an on-going basis.”

Senator King asked Mr. Todd A. Weiler, the nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, how the U.S. can return to a balance where the Guard and Reserve aren’t called upon to such an extent that it compromises the underlying efficacy of the system. Mr. Weiler underscored the importance of predictability and expressed interest in working with Senator King to help ensure Guard and Reserve members are able to balance their service with their other life responsibilities.

Today’s hearing was held to consider several of the President’s nominees for positions within the Department of Defense.

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