Budget Issues Postpone Idaho Guard Drills
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Army National Guard officials say drills have been rescheduled for late September after being postponed because of a federal budget shortfall. The Coeur d'Alene Press reports drills originally scheduled for Sept. 6-7 will take place Sept. 27-28 at armories throughout Idaho. According to a National Guard Bureau statement, unusual and unforeseen circumstances including high training attendance and historic high pass rates at schools contributed to higher-than-normal expenditures for the Guard.
National Guard spokesman Capt. John Fesler said a $101 million gap led to postponed training and suspended travel across the country. Idaho National Guard public affairs officer Col. Tim Marsano said with a new fiscal year starting Oct. 1, he doesn't anticipate funding problems in the near future.