Adjutant General Says Guard Fares Well Under Pentagon Cuts

(Host) Vermont's adjutant general says the state's Air and Army National Guard units would fare well under proposed Pentagon budget cuts. 

VPR's Steve Zind has more.

(Zind) The 2013 defense budget released this month includes broad cuts in military programs. But there's concern some of them fall too heavily on the Air National Guard. 

Some states are mobilizing to protect their Guard units. But Adjutant General Michael Dubie says Vermont does well by comparison.

(Dubie) "I'm feeling pretty good about how Vermont has fared in this process. We have been held somewhat harmless for the most part."

(Zind) The Air Force budget calls for the retirement of hundreds of aircraft in 33 states. While Vermont isn't losing any planes, Dubie says personnel reductions to be announced in the near future may have an impact.

(Dubie) "There may be some small reductions in the Vermont Air Guard, but in the aggregate, we should be keeping our airplanes and we should be continuing the mission that we have."

(Zind) Dubie cautions that the budget announced last week is only the first part of a budget plan that envisions significant cuts over the next decade.  He says there's no guarantee the Vermont Guard won't be subject to future cuts.

For VPR News I'm Steve Zind.