MILITARY EDUCATION FOR ARMY NATIONAL GUARD CIVILIAN TECHNICIANS

SEC. 523. MILITARY EDUCATION FOR ARMY NATIONAL GUARD CIVILIAN TECHNICIANS (a) Phase-Out of Program Requiring Out-of-State Training.—A civilian technician of the Army National Guard whose military occupational specialty has been approved by the Secretary of the Army in accordance with subsection (b) for training under the Reserve Component Noncommissioned Officers Education Program by an appropriate National Guard school (as defined in subsection (P) shall, if such technician is not already qualified in that military occupational specialty, receive military training in that military occupational specialty through that school rather than through the Military Education Program. (b) Approval of State Courses.—(1) Each National Guard school which receives from the Department of the Army a training program for National Guard training for a military occupational specialty as part of the Reserve Component Noncommissioned Officers Education Program shall implement that training program by the end of the 45-day period beginning on the receipt of such program by the school or as soon thereafter as feasible. The Secretary of the Army shall, not later than 45 days after any such school notifies the Secretary that it has implemented such a training program, determine whether or not such school has properly implemented such program. Upon the approval by the Secretary of the implementation of such program by such school, subsection (a) shall apply with respect to military education of civilian technicians of the Army National Guard of that State in the applicable military occupational specialty. (2) In the case of a National Guard school for which a program has not been approved under paragraph (1) with respect to a military occupational specialty, the Secretary of the Army may, subject to subsection (d), require a civilian technician of the Army National Guard in that State with that military occupational specialty to receive training through the Military Education Program. (c) Special Rule for Leadership Training.—A civilian technician of the Army National Guard who is required by the National Guard Bureau to receive leadership training through courses known as Primary Leadership Development courses shall receive such training through the appropriate State National Guard school. (d) Transition.—In the case of a civilian technician of the Army National Guard for whose military occupational specialty there is not, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, a program of training approved under subsection (b) for an appropriate National Guard school, the technician shall, at his request, be given the Skill Qualification Test appropriate for his military occupational specialty and skill level. If the technician passes the test and, if necessary for his military occupational specialty, successfully completes the Army National Guard Battle Skills Course for the appropriate grade, the Secretary of the Army may not require the technician to receive training through the existing Military 102 STAT. 1975Education Program and may not reduce the technician in military grade, or deny the technician a military promotion, by reason of failure to receive training through the Military Education Program. (e) Report.—The Secretary of the Army shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the implementation of the Reserve Component Noncommissioned Officers Education Program. The report shall discuss the implementation of such program at each State National Guard school and shall explain, in any case in which the implementation of a training program has not been approved under subsection (b), the reasons for the withholding of such approval. Such report shall be submitted not later than December 31, 1988. (f) Definitions.—For purposes of this section: (1) The term “National Guard school”, with respect to a civilian technician, means a National Guard school of that technician’s State, or (2) a regional National Guard school designated by the Secretary of the Army for the region including that technician’s State. (2) The term “State” includes the District of Columbia and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.