More governors express concern over depleted National Guard

[deminks]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070510/ap_on_re_us/national_guard_stretched_thin;_ylt=AtCpTLif6KkcGgM82bHSfEXMWM0F

AMPA, Fla. - With repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan leaving state National Guards without nearly half of their required equipment, some governors are loudly questioning whether they will be able to handle the next hurricane, wildfire or terrorist attack at home.

"We are not going to be able to continue to rely on the National Guard as a full-time operational force" overseas if the Guardsmen are to do their job at home, North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley said.

(snip)

"A lot of equipment has gone to Iraq and the equipment doesn't come back when the troops come back," California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday.

The California National Guard is missing 700 Humvees and over 1,100 high-water vehicles — nearly half the number it's supposed to have, according to documents reviewed by The AP. The Guard also has just 1,301 M4 machine guns, or less than a third of its required stockpile.

(snip)

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe acknowledged that his state, with much of its National Guard equipment in Iraq, could have similar problems as Kansas if disaster struck.

Beebe said that much of the Arkansas Guard's engineering unit is deployed in Iraq, and that the state's Blackhawk helicopters also are overseas.

[Monkeyman]

1. Add IL to that list Rod is yelling

[ellenfl]

2. sen bill nelson (d-fl) mentioned this a while back.

he was concerned about hurricane season. i am sure our new governor was with him.

ellen fl

[spacelady]

3. I thought National Guard was originally meant to be the first line

in "Homeland Security" whether from natural or manmade disaster. When and how did it become SOP for them to be deployed to fight on foreign soil?

[MadHound]

4. We can see this happening all around us if we look

Most NG armories have a lot next to them that is normally filled with Hummers, trucks, and the occaisional tank. You go by them today and the Hummers are gone, along with a lot of the trucks, and maybe even that tank.

My local small town armory is down to a few troop trucks, that's it. Everything else that was in the lot last year is gone. Ooo, and we've got flood waters rising in the area, isn't that comforting.