CNMI National Guard in 2 years

With the help of Hawaii and possibly Guam, the CNMI projects to have its own National Guard unit two years from now. This is besides a possible direct authorization from the U.S. Congress, which could take place anytime.

“Based on my talks with Gen. Lee [Hawaii National Guard adjutant], we can successfully have a National Guard unit here in the CNMI in about two years… In the meantime, we’d also be working on the authorization of Congress. That’s still going on; so whatever comes first,” Gov. Juan N. Babauta told reporters yesterday.

Babauta arrived Friday from a weeklong trip to Hawaii where he met with state National Guard adjutant Gen. Robert Lee, among others.

The governor said the CNMI could start with the creation of a special unit that could be used in the fight against weapons of mass destruction.

“This is so we can have a rapid response team that can come out of this area when an attack occurs or some major disaster event takes place here,” he said. “It appears that we’re looking at two years before we can actually have a full implementation of…a National Guard here,” he said.

He said the CNMI unit would be a sub-unit of Hawaii and or Guam.

Babauta dismissed concerns that the CNMI severely lacks personnel for both a National Guard and an Army Reserve.

“Concerns about having a Reserve unit and National Guard should not really be a concern. We have the numbers to keep both,” he said.

He cited that the CNMI has the highest number of Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps on a per capita basis nationwide.

“Our young people are excited at being officers in the military and we certainly have the numbers to do that,” he said.