No Nat'l Guard left in USA for hurricanes like Isabel

[protect freedom impeach bush now]

Since the PNAC cabal took nearly ALL the National Guard
soldiers it could get to fight in the PNAC-Iraq occupation -

just where are the national guard members going to come from to
help AMERICANS here at home in natural disasters like
hurricanes ?

[GainesT1958]

1. Good question...

Around here, we're wondering the same thing...looks like we may have to call in some School Crossing Guard volunteers to help if Isabel pays us a visit! :eyes:

B-)

[RobertSeattle]

2. Interesting observation

But I think only a small portion of the NG/Reserves have been deployed and it's been spread out throughout the US.

[nostamj]

3. not true...

reserve numbers are way down. states were complaining about lack of resources well before ISABEL appeared.

this thread is sort of a dupe of this one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=339705

[RobertSeattle]

6. Show me

Where's a news link that shows this. That link is all about conjecture as well.

[Fish Eye]

13. The only numbers I could come up with quick were

around 30% for Reservists and 21% for National Guard these are total deployment figures but I am not sure where these troops are deployed as of end of July

found here:http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/nation/6394834.htm

Still leaves the majority at home. Should be safe for the potential hurricane unless they are all deployed from the east coast!!

[bearfartinthewoods]

22. get your phone book and look in the white pages

under (your state) national guard. call and ask them if they are deployed. i called the two closest, here in PA and they are not in iraq.

[protect freedom impeach bush now]

5. i have no numbers, but what % have been deployedo

I have zero numbers, of any nat'l guard,

but just how many are left at home to serve to the function
the Guard was meant to do ? serve in times of natural
disasters, or to force the racists in the South to admit
American citizens into public schools in 1960s, or to help
find the lost Freedom Riders.

How can the National Guard help here at home, WHEN they are
NOT even here ?

[Ergotron]

4. Where is the National Guard?

I was thinking the other day that, should my neighborhood be struck by Isabel, or any natural disaster, where is the government to help us...then I remembered...I am just as capable of helping my nieghbor as they are! Where did help come from before the National Guard was tasked with helping disaster victims? From the community of course.

A little self reliance coupled with a little help for ones neighbor never hurt anyone.

[Bozita]

7. Yep, I'm fueling my helicopter now.

Gonna save my neighbors who are stranded on their roofs.

[pw]

8. If your house has been flattened and you have no water or electricity

You are not going to be very capable of helping your neighbor. Besides, you've already paid your taxes; it seems unfair not to get anything in return...

[slackmaster]

18. Please consider getting out before your house gets flattened

Take care of yourself, seriously. If you think there is any danger that your house won't handle what's coming, get the hell out of there and to a shelter.

[Bridget Burke]

9. Good for you!

You've got lots of emergency supplies you want to share with everybody in your area?

Got a chopper to pick up anybody left stranded by flooding--this can happen even without a direct hit by a strong storm.

Ready to get your gun & guard against looting? Not just your place, but everybody else's?

If this is a big storm, "a little" self reliance & "a little" help for your neighbors might not be enough.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

10. Of course!

And the community has all the communications, transportation and training that it needs to be able to help itself doesn't it?

So, you have the heavy lifting equipment and the helicopters for transporting the wounded. I wonder, are you a paramedic too?

How about generators and lighting? Who is going to provide that equipment? Mobile hospitals might be helpful too, after all, local hospitals are likely to be just as damaged as anything else.

So, once you and I have dug ourselves out of our wrecked homes, if we work together with all this specialised equipment we have, and which miraculously survived the hurricane intact, we can then dig out our neighbours too!

Yes, screw the National Guard, who needs them?

[slackmaster]

11. Very good - here is some recommended reading

National Geographic magazine, April 1993 edition, "Andrew Aftermath".

We weren't involved in any major wars at the time, but in the wake of Hurricane Andrew hundreds of thousands of people in Florida were left without any support from government agencies for days. The damage was so widespread that neither the National Guard nor any other official agency could provide assistance to everyone who needed it.

People took care of themselves, and they did very well.

[Brotherjohn]

14. Well, now. Why doesn't your self-reliance dogma apply to Iraq?

Because that's where much of our National Guard is right now, and why you're suggesting we might have to use "self reliance" here in case Isabel strikes.

I guess when those soldiers signed up for the National Guard, they didn't realize that the "nation" in "National" was Iraq.

[Bozita]

15. You hit the bullseye, Brotherjohn.

dead center.

[bpilgrim]

12. we knew that during the BLACK-OUT

we were completely vulnerable and the whole world knew it yet nothing happened.

why?

because we controll the TERRORIST and we know there really isn't nothing to fear on a large scale though as we persue our aggressive militarism that will change.

over 70% of our troops are deployed and we are just itchin for a 'rouge' nation to 'act up' so we can demonstrate our readiness to luanch our nukes to SHOCK and AWE the world again and to demonstrate the correctness of rummys postion that we don't need a large force to dominate the whole world.

:scared:

peace

[Lindsay]

16. I don't have numbers, either, but

Robert Byrd said not long ago that WV's National Guard engineers were all in Iraq...there would be NONE to help in case of emergency.

Things ain't good.

[Nottingham]

17. You Bring up a Helluva point on the Weakness of this country

All our Guardsmen are in another country! :bounce:

We are very Vulnerable

[slackmaster]

19. You are only as vulnerable as you allow yourself to be

I live in Earthquake Country, and my preparations for the Big One do not include being rescued by the National Guard or anyone else.

[protect freedom impeach bush now]

20. self reliance only goes so far.

Even in earthquake zones, no amount of self-reliance will
get you out of a flattened building

no amount of self-reliance will air-lift you out
to a hospital...

no amount of self-reliance will bring you cleared streets & hwys...

no amount of self-reliance will help you find your lost
relatives when the power is out, the cell phones are not working,

no amount of self-reliance will help when the water is above your roof....

no amount of self-reliance will will help when your own home or
apartment is gone OR your entire town is GONE.

no amount of self-reliance will help when your house is on fire,
your neighbor's house is on fire, and your entire block is on fire...

no amount of self-reliance will will help when you need evacuation
OUT of a weather ravaged area, where roads are impassible......and
waters are raging.....and.......



Self-reliance ONLY goes so far.

[htuttle]

21. Large numbers of emergency personnel are in the Guard...

Lots and lots of EMTs, firemen, police personnel, doctors and nurses are also in the Guard and Reserves.

Those people are needed in their 'regular' jobs as much or more than they are needed in their Guard or Reserve roles in a disaster like a hurricane.

Oh well, with Tom Ridge in charge at DHS, everything will be just fine...:eyes: