Dornan, Dellums Team Up to Aid Air National Guard

In an unlikely case of political symbiosis, Orange County conservative Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) and one of Congress’ most liberal members, Rep. Ronald V. Dellums (D-Berkeley), have set aside their differences to spearhead an effort to reverse planned Pentagon cutbacks in the California Air National Guard.

At the urging of the two ideological opposites, both members of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, all 43 other members of the California congressional delegation have signed a letter urging Defense Secretary Dick Cheney to reverse planned cuts in manpower and equipment for three guard units. The letter was delivered this week.

“Ron Dellums may be ideological on the House floor, and wax poetic on war and peace and how we need massive cuts in the defense budget,” Dornan said in an interview, “but in (Dellums’ work on an armed services) subcommittee, he is flawlessly fair and bipartisan.”

Said Dellums’ special counsel, Bob Brauer: “You deal in the House of Representatives on issues, and those people who choose to come where you are, come where you are. . . . I think it’s a common opinion that the California National Guard does important things.”

Prompting the unusual collaboration was announcement of an Air Force plan to trim the strength of Air National Guard units at the Channel Islands Air National Guard Base at Point Mugu in Ventura County, March Air Force Base in Riverside County and the Naval Air Station at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County.

“It is our judgment that California has suffered an unwarranted series of cutbacks in our National Guard programs over the past few years,” said the letter signed by the congressional delegation. “Given our constant population growth and the vast area of the state, these cutbacks . . . simply are not justified.”

The Pentagon has not responded to the letter.

Specifically, the Air Force has said it wants to cut the number of C-130E transport planes stationed at Channel Islands from 16 to 12, replace 24 F-4E fighter planes at the March base with 18 OA-10 observation-ground attack aircraft and finance four instead of five Blackhawk Marine rescue helicopters at Moffett. Figures on any troop reductions that would accompany the equipment cuts were not available.

“This is not a military issue as such; it is a fairness issue,” said Dornan, a former fighter pilot. California, with a population of more than 27 million, has five Air National Guard units, Dornan said. Ohio, with fewer than 11 million people, has six, he said.

The more flying units, Dornan said, the easier it is for retired military personnel to serve in the guard, which they must do to meet pension requirements. Generally, a member of the armed services must spend 20 years on active duty or in the guard to qualify for pension benefits.