US to Pull Out Most of National Guard

[Clara T]

US to pull out most of National Guard
From David Charter in Washington


THE US National Guard is planning to cut the number of its troops in Iraq by 75 per cent over the next year in a dramatic change of approach by the American military, The Times has learnt.

The substantial reduction in part-time troops — from eight combat brigades to two — follows growing evidence that the National Guard’s supply of equipment is becoming exhausted, leaving it unable to cope with domestic emergencies, such as Hurricane Katrina.

There has also been speculation that the force is simply running out of troops for deployment and that recruitment is suffering as a result of high casualty rates and unexpectedly long tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Guardsmen, who are recruited under the slogan “two weeks a year and one weekend a month”, report to their state governor, not to Washington, and many never expected to fight in foreign wars.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-1898794,00.html

[MADem]

1. And insert the USAF and USN

Of course, most of those poor bastards are simply NOT EQUIPPED to do ground support operations, but I noted with interest (and a bit of horror) that USAF has added 'warrior training' to their boot camp regime. All those kids who thought they were gonna join the 'easy' service and "AIM HIGH!!" are in for the shock of their lives....

[ewagner]

2. Trusting Air Force types

with a weapon is risky business....unless the training has changed significantly. We received only minimal training on weapons in Basic and then once-a-year requalification thereafter.

I love and respect my Air Force brothers but we weren't anywhere near as proficient as Army guys with M-16s.

[MADem]

8. Check out this link--outta the classroom, into the mud!!!

http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/basic_training1/airforce.html

[BOSSHOG]

3. bush will send a crippled National Guard

back to their governors and wash his hands of their condition. So our Army is being slowly grinded into disrepair and the force we depend on for domestic chaos and emergencies has been struck a crippling blow by a man who deserted his military unit to avoid a drug test. Surely conservatives could not possibly be prouder.

[Mika]

4. IOW, mission accomplished.

The _Bush admin is a total disaster, they are working against the real interests of the American people.

[Mika]

5. DU glitch dupe

[indepat]

7. They're not necessarily proud IMHO, but don't give a shit or this would

never have happened.

[BOSSHOG]

10. They are too proud to admit they are wrong

and must, for the time being, go along with the charade that the man has some trace of leadership skills in his genes. Meanwhile the repair cost for our national guard continues to go up and our kids continue to get slaughtered, for no apparent reason.

[Kolesar]

6. I knew this a while ago--the guard is "timed out" &Rumsfeld has no choice

They are permitted to serve only two of their six years abroad.

the part-timers...make up an unprecedented 65,000 of the 159,000 troops in Iraq

This is a major factor driving the US withdrawal. Welcome home.

[MetaTrope]

9. Delete (somehow linked in wrong thread?)

[orwell]

11. Cut and Run

Why do they hate America? Who is going to fight them over there so we won't have to fight them over here? I thought Freedom was on the march, not on the retreat.

...nevermind...