Sarah Palin "commanded" the Alaska National Guard?

Right wingers have been harping on the idea that Sarah Palin has national security "experience" because she "commanded" the Alaska National Guard. CNN's Campbell Brown puts that notion to rest in this clip.

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News & Politics

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• Campbell
• Brown
• Tucker
• Bounds
• Sarah
• Palin
• Alaska
• National
• Guard

[zmerrill92]

that dude sounds like gay robot

[tgear77]

@fbi10 All cool.

[fbi10]

@tgear77 np no worries. I never stated that the 49th is filled with alaskan citizens however you are free to show me where, if i did. We already said that the 49th is part of the 100th in CO, and i never stated that she had a say in our national deployment or use but again, like i said, the troops that man the 49th are part of the AK army national guard...which she commanded as governor. Again, i never said she made decisions directly to the 49th but she was breifed on them and their events.

[tgear77]

@fbi10 Sorry, I misunderstood. Yes, the 49th is considered part of the AK NG, but unlike all other units, it is not filled out by Alaskan citizens. It falls under the command of the 100th in CO, which means that Palin and all other Alaskan Governors have no say in its use or deployment. All decisions involving the 49th come from the 100th and the Pentagon.

[fbi10]

@tgear77 this was never about my word...i am simply repeating to you what the US department of states. Now according to the army website, the 49th is a branch that is manned by the alaska army national guard : The 49th is part, all 200, of the alaska army national guard...i never stated that they were born and bread ALASKANS...i stated, again, from my previous post that they are part of the alaska army national guard...which you just said yourself.

[tgear77]

@fbi10 According to the US Dept. of Defense (and I will take their word over yours), the 110 members of the Alaska National Guard that make up the 49th come from all across the US. At the high point, the station held Guardsmen from 46 different states. Only the best of the best can become a GMD operator, after AIT at Ft. Bliss and then training with the 100th in CO. Once they pass and are assigned to Greely, they become members of the Alaskan NG. But they are not Alaskans.

[fbi10]

@tgear77 The 100th missile defense brigade at Colorado springs is composed of full time Colorado army national guardsmen and a contingent of active army soldiers. The 49th Missile defense battalion in Alaska, however, IS manned exclusively by active Alaska army national guardsmen, according to Major Laura Kenney, who is in the 100th MDG. Palin received briefings on the events that occurred with the 49th and other national guard events. Oh i know it's not anti-palin, don't trip, but she did...

[tgear77]

@fbi10 The 49th is not manned by the Alaskan National Guard. Although it is located at Ft. Greely, which does contain a Guard element, the 49th is staffed by soldiers from across the country. It is under the command of the 100th and whoever is the current commander of that is also the commander of the 49th. Yes, the governor of Alaska receives the same briefings as other governors, but the Alaskan Governor does not get the briefings from the 49th. This isn't anti-Palin; no Alaska governor does.

[fbi10]

@tgear77 Governor Palin was the commander n chief of the ANG and manned key elements of the U.S. missile defense system at Ft. Greely.according to Major General Campbell, she did a great job. She was briefed on classified military issues, homeland security, and counterter­rorism operations like all governors do. The 49th missile defense is apart of the 100th missile defense battalion with the alaskan national guard man the battalion. She was commander of the Alaskan State Defense Force aswell.

[tgear77]

@fbi10 The 49th Missile Defense Battalion, located at Fort Greely, AK, is not under the command of the Governor of Alaska. Rather it is under the command of the base commander of the 100th Missile Defense Battalion in Colorado. So Palin was in charge (sort of) the regular guard units in Alaska, but was not in charge of the "first line of defense", nor was she briefed on its operations.