A Report on the Washington Conference of Governors

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U.S. Government Printing Office, 1955

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Page 20 - Our first objective must therefore be to maintain the capability to deter an enemy from attack and to blunt that attack if it comes — by a combination of effective retaliatory power and a continental defense system of steadily increasing effectiveness.
Page 20 - The sea lanes would have to be cleared and protected to enable us to support our forces overseas and those of our allies. We must be in a position to deal with critical land situations as they arise and we recognize that the problem of maintaining order and organization under the conditions that might prevail in the major cities of our country could of itself constitute a major challenge.
Page 24 - Nation's security and have attempted to the best of our ability to determine the size of these forces in the light of : (1) The need to maintain these forces in a qualitatively improved state of readiness. (2) The importance of assisting our allies in their own military security programs. (3) The necessity for an adequate defense of the continental United States within our integrated military programs. (4) The best utilization of the qualified manpower that can be made available. (5) The need for...
Page 23 - At all times we have kept in mind the necessity for providing forces which are adequate for our nation's security and have attempted to the best of our ability to determine the size of these forces in the light of: ( 1 ) the need to maintain these forces in a qualitatively improved state of readiness. (2) the importance of assisting our allies in their own military security programs. (3) the necessity for an adequate defense of the continental United States within our integrated military programs....
Page 22 - B-36, long the mainstay of the longrange strategic forces, will be replaced by the B-52, the new long-range jet bomber. The long-range strategic fighter units in the SAC forces are scheduled to be re-equipped with supersonic fighters possessing a nuclear capability. These forces are being maintained in a high degree of readiness. Some of these forces are capable of operating directly from the continental United States; all are capable of operating from bases scattered around the globe. Local air...
Page 20 - ... should be forced upon us. This is the kind of defense structure that we must build and maintain to deal with the situation we face in the world today. At the same time we must carefully consider the force levels, composition and the organization of our armed services.
Page 47 - full-time National Guard duty" means training or other duty, other than inactive duty, performed by a member of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard...
Page 21 - Our policy calls for flexibility and versatility in the employment of existing forces. We are prepared to use our total resources in the most effective manner appropriate to the particular situation. The buildup of the Strategic Air Command of the Air Force is continuing. This part of our retaliatory force will increase in numbers, but more importantly in quality as the remaining reciprocating engine bombers are replaced by modern jet aircraft. The B-36, long the mainstay of the long-range strategic...
Page 21 - It is, of course, obvious that defensive forces in America are maintained to defend a way of life. They must be adequate for this purpose but must not become such an intolerable burden as to occasion loss of civilian morale or the individual initiative on which, in a free country, depends the dynamic...
Page 24 - The forces envisaged in this long-range program of the Department of Defense constitute by far the largest military establishment that this country has ever undertaken to maintain for an indefinite period of time. With the incorporation into our Military Establishment of the new weapons that we have developed they constitute a force of tremendous striking power.

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