U.S. hometowns strained as police go off to war

[Barrett808]

Source: Reuters

U.S. hometowns strained as police go off to war
By Andrea Hopkins
Thu Jun 14, 7:11 AM ET

ALEXANDRIA, Ky (Reuters) - Police Chief Keith Hill respects Americans who have left civilian jobs to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the fact that so many of them are police officers means he's been short-staffed for years.

"We have one detective on his second deployment. He went once, then came back, then went again, and he's just been extended until July 09. Another officer was gone all of 2005," said Hill, who oversees Campbell County's 31-person police force in the rolling hills of northern Kentucky.

The prolonged wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have put pressure on the National Guard, whose citizen-soldiers can be called away from civilian jobs for months or years at a time to fight beside regular soldiers in war zones.

About 16 percent of the 182,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are members of the National Guard.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070614/us_nm/usa_iraq_guard_dc

[jackster]

1. That's why the NATIONAL GUARD

shouldn't be sent INTERNATIONALLY.

That and the fact that by sending THEM, BushCo doesn't have to take care of the THEM or their families properly!

[saigon68]

2. Cheney and his "Puppet" only care about their own wealth

[Kikosexy2]

3. Well Kentucky...

you voted for these war-mongering criminals..so you're getting what you voted for...next time use your brains (if any) when voting....

[M155Y_A1CH]

7. Screw you too

Here in KY we don't vote as a pack. Do you?

[Kikosexy2]

9. Here in Calif...

we don't vote for war-mongering, corrupt idiots...do you?

[woodsprite]

4. That's OK - * has a plan. That's what Blackwater must be hiring for. n/t

[sabra]

5. k & r

[Mojorabbit]

6. I am uncomfortable with the

militarization of the police and the national guard. I think when these people come back to their regular jobs there has to be a change in their outlook.I am afraid they will see the general population as the enemy. We see police these days in riot gear looking like robots. It is so different from when I was growing up.

[Chemical Bill]

8. It seems like only yesterday...

that Clinton was providing money to hire more policemen....

Bill

[Javaman]

10. ah alas, although it was only 7 years ago, it seems like a dozen lifetimes. nt