AUGUSTA, Maine — The head of the Maine National Guard, Adjutant Gen. John Libby, will address a joint session of the Legislature for the first time.
Libby’s speech on Thursday comes a week after the state’s chief justice, Leigh Saufley, also addressed a joint legislative session.
Libby is expected to address the state of defense, veterans and emergency management matters, and also recognize Maine’s National Guard families that have lost a loved one during deployments since 2001.
A bill introduced last year and signed by Gov. Paul LePage last week authorizes legislative leaders to invite the adjutant general to appear annually and address a joint session.
Maine’s National Guard began in 1893, when a revision of military law changed the designation from Maine Volunteer Militia to National Guard, State of Maine.
Major General Libby is a fine man and an eloquent speaker.
It has been my understanding that the Maine State Guard was under the command of the Governor of Maine Republic and State of Maine but changed to United States National Guard for the District of Maine during the Joe Brennan reign as governor, about 1982. He refused to send the troops to Honduras as ordered by the president, saying that they were Maine State Guard and should stay at home as their commission intended. The United States President Ronald Reagan stayed the order with one of his own and made the Maine State Guard obsolete and sent the troops to Honduras as United States District of Maine National Guard. I don’t think this happened in 1893.
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Maine adjutant general to address lawmakers
The Associated Press Posted Feb. 12, 2012, at 9:41 a.m.
Adjutant Gen. John Libby
AUGUSTA, Maine — The head of the Maine National Guard, Adjutant Gen. John Libby, will address a joint session of the Legislature for the first time.
Libby’s speech on Thursday comes a week after the state’s chief justice, Leigh Saufley, also addressed a joint legislative session.
Libby is expected to address the state of defense, veterans and emergency management matters, and also recognize Maine’s National Guard families that have lost a loved one during deployments since 2001.
A bill introduced last year and signed by Gov. Paul LePage last week authorizes legislative leaders to invite the adjutant general to appear annually and address a joint session.
Maine’s National Guard began in 1893, when a revision of military law changed the designation from Maine Volunteer Militia to National Guard, State of Maine.Similar articles:Maine honor guard performs 7,000th funeral rites
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National Guard unit’s are under the direct control of their respective Governor’s until such time as they are ‘Federalized’ and then fall under the control of their respective Service Chief’s, Army Chief of Staff or Air Force Chief of Staff as is applicable under Maine’s National Guard structure. When National Guard unit’s are called up, the ‘Calling Authority’ is the determining factor as to who has the authority to send them where. When the Guard is called up for a training deployment, like in Honduras, the Guard unit is activated under ‘Federal Authority’ and a such is available for overseas deployment regardless of the specific State’s Governor’s wish’s.
No Governor in their right mind is ever going to refuse the activation order, especially when the Guard’s funding is covered over 90% by the respective Service’s National Guard Bureau representative. That’s the reason that all Guard unit’s have what is designated as a ‘Full time Man’er’ whose sole job is to keep the Unit in compliance with their Service’s Unit Manning Readyness Standard’s and Mission Capable Performance Standard’s. Just go ask those folks who just left for Kuwait , Charlie Co. 1/126th Air Ambulance, how tough their pre-deployment Operational Readiness Inspection was. Nowadays, ORI’s are done to a single standard. Being National Guard doesn’t cut anyone any slack anymore, unlike the days prior to 9-11.
Having served under General Libby, I can say he is a true leader and a fine gentleman. His attention to detail with all things under his command, and his caring attitude created a climate of success which has recently borne fruit on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.