A Gap in Readiness

I was appalled to read in this article about the state of our reserve forces.
There is an “apalling gap” in the readiness of the forces who would be called upon to respond to attacks on U.S. soil.
According to a congressional commission report recently released the National Guard and Reserve forces are not sufficiently trained and prepared to answer the demands of a domestic crisis.
Not only do they lack training and personnel, there is also a lack of $48 billion in equipment.
This is a dangerous situation for the United States to be in. Should there be an attack on U.S. soil, be it biological, chemical or nuclear, the National Guard and Reserve forces are unprepared and insufficiently trained to respond in a manner likely to resolve the problem.
It is clear what needs to be done. Reserve and National Guard forces need to be trained in the same manner as active duty troops. They must be kept ‘at the ready’ and with the same resources as the troops overseas.
Since September 11 many reserve troops have served overseas so we know that they are necessary.
A strong reserve is also necessary to prevent the necessity of a draft which no one wants.
One thing is clear - if something is not done it leaves the U.S. unable to defend itself in the case of an attack on our own soil.