Part-Time Forces on Active Duty Decline Steeply

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/11/politics/11reserves.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

Part-Time Forces on Active Duty Decline Steeply
By ERIC SCHMITT and DAVID S. CLOUD

WASHINGTON, July 10 - The number of Reserve and National Guard troops on domestic and overseas missions has fallen to about 138,000, down from a peak of nearly 220,000 after the invasion of Iraq two years ago, a sharp decline that military officials say will continue in the months ahead.

The decrease comes as welcome relief to tens of thousands of formerly part-time soldiers who, with their families, employers and communities, have been badly stressed by their long call-ups for duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Reserve and National Guard members from all of the armed services make up about 35 percent of the troops in Iraq, a share that is expected to drop to about 30 percent by next year; the vast majority are from the Army Reserve and Army National Guard.

But as these returning troops settle back into their civilian lives, the Army is running perilously low on its Reserve and National Guard soldiers who largely fill certain critical support jobs, like military police and civil affairs officers and truck drivers. Marine Corps reservists are facing similar constraints.

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[DeepModem Mom]

1. This is the lead story in the print edition of the Times today --

very interesting.

[CRK7376]

2. I see a long, long

deployment schedule continue for the Guard and Reserves. They still make up a huge percentage of the special skills that the Active Components don't have. As long as we are in Balkans, Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan and the rest of the MiddleEast, we will continue to rely heavily on the Guard/Reserve. Nothing will change until Shrub is out of office once and for all!

[MichiganVote]

3. This is all bullshit intended to make it sound like they are not

going to screw with these units anymore. As long as George Bush is in office they will send them where they want and for however long they want with the worst equipment available.