Babauta creates National Guard task force

In another move to get the support of the U.S. Congress for the creation of the CNMI’s own National Guard, Gov. Juan N. Babauta established yesterday a task force that would determine the viability of the Commonwealth having its own militia.

Babauta appointed former Supreme Court Associate Justice Edward Manibusan to chair the newly created National Guard Task Force, while members of the panel include Deputy Police Commissioner Franklin Babauta, Saipan JROTC head Tony Cabrera and another JROTC chief from Tinian.

Governor’s press officer Peter Callaghan said the task force was created to solidify the CNMI’s bid to have its own National Guard after the U.S. House of Representatives junked the proposal last year.

The task force would provide solid details and other relevant information necessary for the CNMI to get the approval of the U.S. Congress, Callaghan said.

For its initial task, the team would be holding a series of meetings with the Guam National Guard Adjutant to discuss the militia’s composition, organization, and other pertinent matters.

Also, the task force would submit a study on how the CNMI National Guard could be funded, whether the CNMI population base could support it, and how many senior and junior high school students would be participating and later move up to the U.S. military.

“Once all these are prepared, the governor would be meeting with the Washington people, particularly the U.S. Congress, to ask for their support. Hopefully, the CNMI National Guard could be included in the U.S. fiscal year 2005 budget,” said Callaghan.

The U.S. Congress is expected to discuss the fiscal year 2005 budget by August this year, and the CNMI is hoping that before the hearing, the administration would be able to incorporate the CNMI’s proposal into the National Defense Appropriation.

According to Callaghan, the CNMI is one of the last members of the United States family that has yet to have its own National Guard. Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other commonwealths have their own National Guards in place.

Based on reports, Guam is receiving $32 million for its Guam National Guard. The CNMI is hopeful that, if approved, even half of the appropriations allotted to Guam could be also be allocated to the Northern Marianas.

In 2003, the U.S. House of Representatives junked the proposed creation of the CNMI National Guard due to the estimated $275-million cost of setting up a unit in the CNMI. Another concern raised during the U.S. Congress deliberation was the CNMI’s ability to form a National Guard unit given the size of its population.

Babauta has been pushing for the CNMI’s own National Guard unit to enhance local security and enable the Northern Marianas to respond quickly to emergency situations. The local Legislature has already passed a law, Public Law 13-32, authorizing the creation of the local militia unit.