The National Guard Working Group sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs stressing the importance of an apolitical National Guard.

Washington, DC — Members of the National Guard Working Group wrote a letter to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs regarding Governor Kristi Noem’s nomination for Secretary of Homeland Security, stressing to the committee the importance of maintaining the National Guard’s integrity and core focus on homeland defense and disaster response.

Given the recent trend of the National Guard increasingly being deployed for missions beyond its traditional role, the letter raises concerns that these deployments will have detrimental long-term effects on the Guard’s readiness, morale, and public trust.

Noting Governor Noem’s decision as governor to accept private funds to fund a South Dakota National Guard deployment to the southern border, the letter urges the Committee to ask Governor Noem for assurances that she will uphold the Guard’s nonpartisan and mission-focused principles when weighing requesting its deployment as Secretary of Homeland Security.

“As the Senate considers the future of the Department of Homeland Security, we respectfully urge the Committee to seek clear assurances that she will uphold the National Guard’s nonpartisan and mission-focused principles when weighing whether to seek National Guard support for the Department of Homeland Security’s operations. Such commitments are essential to maintaining the traditions and responsibilities of this vital institution.”

-Members of the National Guard Working Group

Read the full letter here.