Committee hears hours of testimony on bill to bar Guard from undeclared foreign combat

Rep. Lee Deming introduced House Bill 404 at a lengthy May 17 hearing of the House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee, asking the legislature to prevent Montana National Guard members from being deployed to foreign combat without a congressional declaration of war. The bill prompted many hours of testimony from the adjutant general, veterans, military associations and concerned citizens.

Major General J. Hronek, the Adjutant General for the Montana National Guard, testified in strong opposition. He told the committee HB 404 ‘‘would have catastrophic impacts on our members and our national security’’ and warned it would create ‘‘a protected class of service members’’ that would harm unit cohesion, readiness, and longstanding state‑federal training and resourcing arrangements. ‘‘Protecting us from harm’s way…would be almost insulting to a service member going…