Establishing National Guard units for the Northern Marianas Islands has been deemed \u2018feasible,\u2019 according to a study by the National Guard Bureau.<\/p>\n
Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) said the bureau released the results of its feasibility study last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith our population of 54,000, the bureau estimated the Northern Marianas could recruit two, company-sized National Guard elements, above and beyond the U.S. Army reservists now on Saipan,\u201d Sablan, in his e-newsletter, said.<\/p>\n
Sablan said a prerequisite is that a U.S. territory should have a law authorizing an organized militia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Commonwealth Legislature has already enacted a law authorizing an organized militia, Public Law 13-32,\u201d Sablan said.<\/p>\n
P.L 13-32 or the \u201cNorthern Mariana Islands National Guard Act\u201d was signed in 2002 by then governor Juan N. Babauta.<\/p>\n
In an executive summary of the feasibility study, the bureau said establishing National Guard units in the CNMI and American Samoa is feasible. \u201cHowever, major steps are necessary to reach that end state,\u201d the bureau said.<\/p>\n
Sablan said \u201cthe Armed Services Committee was unwilling to act, however, without first looking at costs and infrastructure and manpower requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he \u201cagreed to include a feasibility study in the fiscal year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Northern Marianas and American Samoa are the only U.S. jurisdictions without their own Guard to respond to natural or man-made disasters. Men and women from the Northern Marianas now serve in the Guam National Guard. But issuance of the report\u2014and the example of Typhoon Soudelor\u2014provides a new opportunity to push for establishment of our own National Guard in the Northern Marianas,\u201d Sablan said.<\/p>\n
He said Typhoon Soudelor \u201cdemonstrates that the governor of the Northern Mariana Islands could benefit from having a National Guard to call up in times of emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n
Press secretary Ivan S. Blanco said the administration will review the feasibility study before issuing comments.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe administration, upon a thorough review of the newly released feasibility study, will provide appropriate comments at a later date,\u201d he said in an email.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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