As flooding continues to plague the Midwest, Air and Army National Guardsmen are still providing additional sand bag reinforcements and delivering much needed supplies. The latest effort, according to a June 20 National Guard Bureau release, was in Missouri, where the state’s governor, Matt Blunt, declared, “Our priority is to protect the lives of Missouri’s residents and their property; then we will focus on recovery efforts.” On June 19 alone, more than 5,700 Air and Army Guard members were assisting efforts in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. (NGB report by SSgt. Jim Greenhill)
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.