National Guard: Enough GIs for storm duty

[sabra]

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/12506059.htm

National Guard: Enough GIs for storm duty

Associated Press


WASHINGTON - Though thousands of National Guard personnel from Louisiana and Mississippi are serving in Iraq, officials say more than enough personnel were available for disaster duty Monday as Hurricane Katrina slammed ashore.

"Only about half of available forces are mobilized in Louisiana and forces are available from neighboring states if needed," said Lt. Col. Mike Milord, a spokesman at National Guard headquarters outside Washington.

Some 3,500 Army National Guardsmen from Louisiana were deployed to help hurricane victims and another 3,000 were on standby.

About 3,000 members of Louisiana's 256th Combat Brigade already are in Iraq. Six members were killed by a bomb on Jan. 6 and another two died in a blast four days later.

[Bob3]

1. so what were they going to say that the war has left

these states without sufficient numbers of guardsmen? Of course not. This is the not really news news bulletin.

[Tyranny_R_US]

2. Not like I want them roaming around anyway unless...

there is a real threat, I hear they can be heavy handed and very aggressive but they are called the NATIONAL GUARD for a reason its so sad they have been tricked into going into iraq, one weekend a month MY ASS!

[bryant69]

3. Probably necessary after a hurricane however

I would say.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[KyndCulture]

4. well seriously what else would they say? nt

[lostnfound]

5. Is this misleading? "3,000 members of Louisiana's 256th Combat Brigade.."

Is that the entire Louisiana National Guard? I think it was on Landrieu's website that I saw that over 4500 Louisiana National Guard were in Iraq, from a few months ago?

[Coastie for Truth]

6. Not the whole story

"Only about half of available forces are mobilized in Louisiana and forces are available from neighboring states if needed," said Lt. Col. Mike Milord, a spokesman at National Guard headquarters outside Washington.

"forces are available from neighboring states if needed"

But "neighboring states" includes the whole south and the whole east coast, and the Ohio Valley (which will see massive flooding as the remnants dump massive amounts of rain on the Ohio Valley).

And, don't forget the unpaid, Non-Governmental Organization VOLUNTEERS, i.e., Red Cross, Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul, Southern Baptist Brotherhood (the big mass feeding kitchen semi's), Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Community Emergency Response Teams, Urban Search and Rescue Corps, Ham Radio (Radio Amateur Civilian Emergency Service), the Volunteer Fire Departments, and the Volunteer Ambulance Corps. These unpaid, pure volunteers are being called upon at an unprecedented level.

And, don't forget that Col. Milford's manpower projections include Guard members who don't meet "Federal (age, physical) standards" for mobilization to Iraq, some categories of "retired" Guard members (over age 62, over 36 years of Guard service), etc.