The Commission on the National Guard and Reserves released its final report on January 31, 2008. The report contains almost 100 recommendations, several of which are already being hotly debated by stakeholders in OSD, the National Guard and reserves community, DHS, Congress, state governments and the broader homeland security community. The Center for Strategic and International Studies held a conference to hear senior perspectives on the CNGR report and join a discussion on the most significant - and in some cases controversial – recommendations. This conference brings together senior officials from many different organizations to discuss the CNGR report, it also was an opportunity to explore how to move from problem diagnosis to solution implementation.
The conference opened with keynote remarks by former Secretary of Defense William Cohen and will include four discussion panels:
The Implications of an Operational Reserve for the All-Volunteer Force
Sustaining and Institutionalizing an Operational Reserve
The Role of DoD and the Reserve Component in the Homeland
Congressional Perspectives on the Operational
Agenda
0830-0845 Introduction John Hamre
0845-0915 Keynote Speaker Secretary William Cohen AUDIO (00:19:00) | VIDEO (00:19:08)
0915-1015 Panel 1: Senior Perspectives on the Operational Reserve and the AVF AUDIO (mp3, 01:32:20) | VIDEO (wmv, 01:36:03)
Dr. John Winkler, Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
Lieutenant General Steven Blum, Chief, National Guard Bureau
Major General David Fastabend, Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army
Major General (ret.) Arnold Punaro, Chairman, Commission on the National Guard and Reserves
Moderator: Mr. Ray DuBois, Senior Adviser, CSIS
1015-1030 Break
1030-1130 Panel 2: Sustaining and Institutionalizing the Operational Reserve AUDIO (mp3, 01:05:55)
Dr. David Chu, Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel & Readiness
Lieutenant General Jack Stultz, Chief of the Army Reserve
Ms. Patricia Lewis, Commissioner, Commission on the National Guard and Reserves
Charlie Cragin, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
Major General Raymond Rees, Adjutant General, Oregon
Moderator: Patrick Henry, Partner, Abell, Henry & Associates
1130-1145 Break (Buffet Lunch Served)
1145-1345 Panel 3: The Role of DoD in the Homeland AUDIO (mp3, 02:01:54) | VIDEO (02:04:42)
