Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, filed legislation to ensure men and women serving in the Oklahoma National Guard are only deployed as directed by the U.S. Constitution.

Known as the “Defend the Guard” act, SB 1101 is aimed at making sure the Oklahoma National Guard could not be deployed overseas unless Congress fulfilled the constitutional requirements of declaring war as seen in article one, section eight, clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution and insurrections as seen in article one, section eight, clause 15.

“There is a growing movement of people in this country who realize the best way to be pro-military is to follow the Constitution and not put our service men and women needlessly in harm’s way,” Dahm said. “By not declaring war, we are bogged down in endless wars with rules of engagement that tie our soldiers’ hands and do not allow for victory that enables us to bring our service members home.”

Dahm said it is time to follow the Constitution and stand up for our service members and their families.

“The best thing for our men and women in uniform is for them to be at home with family, especially during the holidays, work their jobs and be ready to defend us if needed,” Dahm said. “Our Oklahoma Guard has been stretched thin with multiple deployments overseas, adding strain in multiple ways to our state. President Trump and other strong military supporters have seen the benefit of bringing our troops home. This bill is a way we can work towards this goal.”