John F. Kennedy photo

Statement by the President on the Release of National Guard and Reserve Units.

April 11, 1962

LAST SUMMER we found it necessary to respond rapidly to a rapid increase in the level of international tension. Our response was two-fold. First, we mobilized two National Guard divisions and associated serve units, 36 tactical fighter and troop carrier squadrons, and a number of ships and naval air squadrons. Reluctant as we were to disturb the lives and interrupt the careers of American citizens, we found it necessary to act as we did to protect the national security.

An equally important part of our response to the heightened Soviet threat was our decision, supported by the Congress and the American people, to increase the pace and size of our permanent buildup of nuclear and non-nuclear forces. At that time, we requested and obtained from the Congress an additional $3.5 billion to augment the two earlier supplements totalling $2.5 billion, which had previously been added to our military budget for fiscal 1962.

As soon as our $3.5 billion budget request was approved by the Congress, Secretary McNamara, at my direction, took steps to obtain the men and the arms required for the buildup, on an accelerated schedule. We set about organizing two additional regular divisions. These divisions will, by the end of the summer, bring the number of regular combat-ready Army divisions to 16, as against 11 such divisions in June of 1961. We retained 6 wings of B-47 bombers scheduled for inactivation, and we are increasing the number of tactical fighter wings from 16 to 21 We accelerated procurement of new equipment, both for nuclear and non-nuclear combat. We more than doubled the construction rate for Polaris submarines.

Our permanent buildup is, of course, still going on. But I can now report that we have reached the point where we can determine that in August of this year, unless there is a serious deterioration in the international situation in the meantime, we shall be able to release the National Guard divisions and the Reserves who were called to active duty last year.

We are, and will remain, prepared to do what is necessary to protect our own interests and the security of our friends and allies. The substantial increase in combat power that has been achieved in order to permit release of the Guardsmen and Reservists will be maintained. To the extent that reserve units are now stationed in Europe (as in the case of tactical fighter squadrons), we are making detailed plans to replace them with equivalent regular units.

This release is not the result of any marked change in the international situation, which continues to have many dangers and tensions. It is the result, rather, of our successful build-up of permanent instead of emergency strength. The units we release will remain available, in a new and heightened state of combat readiness, if a new crisis should arise requiring further service.

I know that I speak for all Americans in paying tribute to all those whose emergency service in this year of growing national strength is doing so much for the national interest. Their ready response to our call to duty has been a most important element in the defense of freedom everywhere, in these last months.

John F. Kennedy, Statement by the President on the Release of National Guard and Reserve Units. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/236406

Filed Under

Categories

Simple Search of Our Archives