 The spirit of the California Grizzly. It's really been around for some time now. It makes its way through forests and over mountains, undaunted by any obstacle, ready for any challenge. That same spirit and pride can be found in the hearts of thousands of Californians, citizen soldiers, the men and women of the California National Guard. You might say we began with the founding of our country, the spirit was there, and so was the militia. Those same citizen soldiers came west to California. Some came for land, others for freedom, but most in 1849 came for gold. And that's just about the time we really got started. And we've been plenty busy ever since. Exciting job, the most important part-time job in America. And the California Guard's the most active guard in the nation, responding to over 13 times more emergencies than the average state during a recent two-year period. It's a dual mission, both state and federal. The Pentagon establishes readiness requirements, and we have to achieve them in case we're needed for a national emergency. We can be called to service by the president in time of war or national emergency as a part of the Army and Air Force. Until then, the governor, through his appointed commanding general, controls the Guard. The commanding general heads the state military department, which has over 3,000 full-time employees and a total authorized military force of over 26,000 guardsmen at nearly 200 Army installations, three training sites, an armed forces reserve center, and eight air bases and stations. Headquarters in Sacramento operates as a joint staff of Army and Air Guardsmen and enjoys the services of a senior Army advisor. His purpose is to advance the Army as a whole by uniting components into one Army through mutual understanding, cooperation, and teamwork. The California Guard's annual budget is about 94% federally funded and 6% state financed, since California actually gains more money from taxes on federal Guard funds than it pays for the Guard program. The California National Guard is really a bargain, an insurance policy that more than pays for itself. It's spirits and pride and hard work that keep the California National Guard in the forefront of state and national activities. Capabilities like search and rescue, airlift, disaster relief, and civil protection ensure our state and national interests. One capability we're quite proud of is the California State Military Reserve, volunteer members of the community. Most are retired officers from various branches of the armed forces and the National Guard. Their primary mission is to develop a staff prepared to augment the state headquarters during federal or state emergency. A recent addition to our capabilities is our LEAF, or Law Enforcement Assistance Force, comprised of nearly 1,000 specially trained military police, engineers, and Air National Guard security personnel. An immediate reaction force able to augment law enforcement groups throughout the state during any state or local emergency. Good insurance? You bet. And getting better all the time. Citizen soldiers, active in the community, letting the public get to know us and what we're capable of doing for them. Our bands perform frequently in many communities throughout the state. We help in the construction of parks and Little League fields and provide vital assistance during natural disasters. We're involved in projects such as Muscular Dystrophy, March of Dimes, and Toys for Tots. You see, it's more than just a part-time job or a mission requirement. It's caring. The record is enviable. Our standards are high and we plan to keep them that way. But in order to do so, we must constantly revitalize our strength. To do this, full-time Army and Air Guard recruiters are always looking for more than just a few good men or women. The high school senior, the young college student, the prior service person, those rare individuals who share that unique spirit, the spirit of the Grizzly. Some of the most enthusiastic and dedicated guard personnel have come from the California Cadet Corps. It's a program that's coordinated with the State Department of Education and oriented to the junior and senior high school student with over 4,000 cadets at nearly 80 secondary schools. We've also instituted the innovative Oakland Guard program in the Bay Area. The Oakland Guard allows us to build strength in the Guard while combating unemployment by guaranteeing jobs to those unemployed who are selected for the program. Imaginative and effective training is a key element of retention in the Guard. A portion of that training comes at our Army and Air Guard officer academies. Outstanding California guardsmen capable of meeting the standards set by the academies can apply for commissions as officers. I recently graduated from the Academy of Military Science at Knoxville, Tennessee, and it's given me the basis for developing my career as an officer in the California Air National Guard. I've had the best six weeks of education and enlightenment that I've ever had. Well, when I enlisted in the Army Guard, I wanted to be an Army Guard officer. When I qualified, I received my training at the California Military Academy at Camp San Luis Obispo. CMA was one of the first state-operated academies in the country, and I think it's one of the best. Another option available for a commission in the California Army Guard is the simultaneous membership program. Camp San Luis Obispo is also the home of the California Specialized Training Institute, an institute of national acclaim that expands mutual assistance and cooperation between the state's emergency forces. CSTI graduates include leaders of law enforcement, government, universities, and the military. But training isn't confined to officer academies and CSTI. Throughout every California guardsman's career, training is the name of the game. Educational programs are encouraged since guardsmen must meet the same rigorous qualifications as their active duty counterparts in order to fulfill federal mission requirements. Guard units are regularly inspected by active duty Army and Air Force teams to make certain readiness standards are met. In order to maintain the highest degree of readiness, the California National Guard is constantly involved in extensive training programs such as Operation Eureka, where nearly every facet of training is explored and emphasized. Much of our training is supported by our three major training sites, Camp San Luis Obispo, Fort Irwin, and Camp Roberts, and the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Los Alamitos. I'm a sergeant and I've made seven trips to Camp Roberts now. There's nearly 43,000 acres of training ground with classrooms and ranges and just about everything else to train a top guard force. San Luis Obispo is not only fun, it's educational. It has 5,000 acres and a museum that keeps the history of the California National Guard. I really enjoyed the training here as well as the friends you get close to along the way. Fort Irwin is one of the largest military training areas in the United States. It's over 1,000 square miles. The Army and Air Guard units use it for desert training and even mountain training. It's remote, but it's well equipped for the job. The Los Alamitos Armed Forces Reserve Center is used by several reserve units, but the California National Guard runs it and has complete responsibility for all airfield operations. Now let's take a closer look at the statewide insurance policy focusing first on the California Army National Guard and see how the Guard belongs to the state, the nation, and to you. This precision Army Guard force consists of nearly 200 units. There's the 40th Mechanized Infantry Division headquartered in Long Beach. It's by far the largest command with over half the Army Guard's strength. Other major commands include the 49th Military Police Brigade and the 75th Medical Brigade in Sacramento and the 115th Support Group in Roseville. Smaller units from battalions on down are located throughout California. It's a capable force, confident and responsive. We've got helicopter support, hospitals with the finest medical and dental care, an air ambulance company, combat engineers who can build bridges, an armored cavalry squadron, a finance company, artillery, mechanized infantry battalions, three Army bands, just about every valuable service you can imagine. It's organization and muscle, minds and bodies, and spirit. Some of the best our nation has to offer. Oh yes, there is another side, a high-flying side, the California Air National Guard. Nearly 50 units make up the Air Guard in California. Over 5,000 men and women located at eight bases throughout the state. They serve a dual mission. Their response is not only to state headquarters, but to their major gaining Air Force commands, including the Military Airlift Command, the Tactical Air Command, the Air Force Communications Command and the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service. I've been at the 146th Tactical Airlift Wing here at Van Nuys for eight years now. I fly the C-130 Hercules. The plane can carry over 80 troops and several tons of cargo. We also use the C-130s to drop fire retardant, transport firefighters, communications personnel and equipment, along with flood workers, rescue teams and emergency vehicles. I flew F-4s in Southeast Asia, and now I'm a pilot here at the 144th Fighter Interceptor Wing at Fresno. The 106 is a fine plane to fly, most capable. I believe we can handle any intercept situation day or night. We maintain round the clock alert and can be airborne in five minutes notice, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We've got a fine group of people here. Good team spirit. I help keep the O2 flying here at Ontario. The 163rd Tactical Air Support Group and its forward air control mission is an important part of the air guard and the Air Force. I'm looking forward to our upcoming move to March Air Force Base and our transition to the F-4 Phantom. My job is highly technical, but it's necessary to keep up with standards set by the Air Force as well as myself. I think the 129th facility at Moffitt Naval Air Station is outstanding. But what's even more important is the expanded mission for the 129th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group. Our prayer rescue men are training all over the world so that others may live. That's our motto. We fly the HH-3 Jolly Green Helicopters, the HC-130. Search and rescue is where it's at. I really enjoy it. They train and they fly. Oh, how they fly. Many of our air crews also fly with the airlines, actually giving them more flight time than many active-duty pilots. But flying isn't the air guard's only job, not by a long shot. The air guard must communicate. And the 162nd Combat Communications Group headquartered at North Highlands manages over 1,400 people throughout California and provides the expertise for communications under almost any circumstance. These professionals can install communications equipment anywhere in the state within 24 hours. We have aeromedical evacuation teams medical and dental personnel civil engineering personnel crash and fire departments just about the best group of people you'd ever want to work with. The Army and Air National Guard in California is a spirited force of people. People who take pride in their communities, their lives and their families. They like to roam across their land free, like our old friend, the Grizzly. They'll protect the land and the ideals that make America what it is today. They have that spirit, that energy, that concern for their state and their nation. It's a spirit that will stay and grow and continue to prosper. The spirit of the Grizzly.