John Saylor repeats:

> A few facts about SARAH PALIN'S EXPERIENCE:
>  
> Don't dismiss the fact that Sarah Palin is Commander of the Alaska 
> National Guard-- consider this.
>  
> Alaska is the first line of defense in our missile interceptor defense 
> system. The 49th Missile Defense Battalion of the Alaska National Guard is 
> the unit that protects the entire nation from ballistic missile attacks.  It's
> on permanent active duty, unlike other Guard units.
>  
> As governor of Alaska , Palin is briefed on highly classified military 
> issues, homeland security, and counterterrorism. Her exposure to classified 
> material may rival even Biden's and certainly by far exceeds Obama's.

This is just nonsense. 

The 49th Missile Defense Battalion of the Alaska National Guard at Ft. 
Greeley, AK is comprised of about 200 soldiers, the vast majority of which are 
military police, on a base otherwise manned by about 1700 civilian 
contractors. They have nothing to do with the command or control of the 
missile intercerptors, or for that matter anything technical or especially 
classified. They simply patrol the perimeter of the base and provide physical 
security.

This is one of their photo albums:

http://www.airdefenseartillery.com/online/PhotoGallery/GMD/49thMissileDefens
eBattalionHome.htm

or http://tinyurl.com/5jggav

As for the governor's responsibility and control over the facility, I'm sure that 
the base commander would be pleased to give her a tour of the facility, but he 
would do the same for the mayor of Ft. Greeley or the head of the local 
chamber of commerce. This is standard practice at all American military 
bases.

The Governor of Alaska otherwise has no more command and control of the 
Ft. Greeley facility than does the Governor of Colorado of the Cheyenne 
Mountain Complex in Colorado Springs or the Governor of New Mexico over 
White Sands Missile Range, which is to say none at all.

The various governors' interests in these facilities are that they provide stable 
jobs for the community, but that is the entirety of the extent of their 
involvement in their activities.

Wirt Atmar

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