Stripes letters: Posse Comitatus & the NG/Give soldiers leave time

[lebkuchen]

National Guard’s job

In response to “Katrina may alter troops’ U.S. role” (Associated Press article, Sept. 18), the underlying premise for the Posse Comitatus Act is still valid. Resource allocation and utilization of forces for their constitutionally intended purposes are the keys to this argument.

All active-duty forces should be employed overseas to fight our nation’s wars before even one National Guard soldier is deployed. If the necessary skill sets do not reside in the active-duty forces, then maybe the active-duty force structure should be revised.

National Guard units should be called to duty primarily to “back-fill” gaps in coverage left at home, in the U.S., caused by the departure of active-duty forces to fight foreign wars. In addition, if the number of active-duty forces are not enough to accomplish national objectives, then a call-up is also warranted, but not until all active-duty manpower issues have been exhausted.

The National Guard’s role as a “state militia,” to be employed at the request of individual state governors in times of natural disasters, is clearly defined. There is also a provision to allow state militias to help each other, at the request of the host governor, if additional forces are necessary.

Let the National Guard take care of the states, as intended by the Constitution of the United States. If these National Guard forces were not deployed overseas, diluting the state militias, there would be no need to question the validity of Posse Comitatus, and the active-duty forces would not be involved in roles they are not intended to fill.

Chris R. Yakabe
Logistics Support Area, Iraq



Give soldiers leave time

It seems a real shame that in this time of need, the Army cannot see its way to allow those soldiers from Mississippi to go home. Emergency leave is just that, to be used in an emergency; I am certain that situation qualifies.

Sometimes you just have to say “mission be damned” and take care of the soldiers. Their minds cannot be in the game at this time and that is not good for mission and, most of all, the soldiers.

You hear of people using emergency leave as a way around full rest and recuperation slots and officers combining leave and schools back in the States.

Let’s take care of the troops; they deserve it. Maybe they should ask for volunteers to take their spots. I am heading home in a short while. I’d stay to let one of them go home and put back together their lives, just as I am sure others here in Iraq would do the same. American Forces Network television preaches to remember and take care of those at home. Maybe now is the time to practice what they preach.

Sgt. Jay Lownsbery
Forward Operating Base Speicher, Iraq

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=31985