September 8th 2008
Commander Palin
R
eferences to Gov. Palin’s experience as Commander of Alaska’s National Guard have been greeted with hoots of derision by the know-it-alls on the left, who generally know very little at all about the nation’s military defense. It turns out she’s in charge of some pretty darn important stuff because Alaska is our first line of defense in something that may seem anachronistic but is still very much a part of defending America’s safety: our missile interceptor defense system.
(Remember who’s just across the Pacific from Alaska!)
From an email that’s making the rounds, which I fact-checked and found worthy of passing along, in substance:
The 49th Missile Defense Battalion of the Alaska Air National Guard is, the email tells us, “the unit that protects the entire nation from ballistic missile attacks.” That sounded a bit much, so I checked with – who else – Frank Gaffney:
The 49th Missile Defense Battalion (GMD) was activated on January 22, 2004 at Fort Greely [Alaska]. The battalion will provide operational control and security over ground-based interceptors located in Alaska to protect the nation from limited ballistic missile attacks. Alaska National Guard Soldiers will man the battalion as part of their homeland defense mission.
This is the first unit of its kind.
The battalion is part of the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground-based Midcourse Defense) headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo. The battalion, which at full-authorized strength will number 110 soldiers, will provide operational control and security over ground-based interceptors located in Alaska.
Alaska National Guard soldiers will man the battalion as part of the homeland defense mission. (Global Security)
That’ll do for me. The email also mentions that the 49th is the only National Guard outfit that’s on permanent active duty, and that as Gov, Palin is briefed on its activities, which could involve some rather advanced security clearances.
Beyond that, the email points out that as a governor she receives classified briefings on homeland security issues and counterterrorism – more than Obama might have received since he has no relevant committee appointments, and probably wasn’t in Washington for any briefings that might have happened.
The email speculates that “Given Alaska’s proximity to Russia, she may have security clearances we don’t even know about.” I don’t know about that other than to know it’s a statement that can be neither proved nor disproved. The email’s close is definitely provable though:
According to the Washington Post, she first met with McCain in February, but nobody ever found out. This is a woman used to keeping secrets.
Here’s the proof.
Art: Ben Heine
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