Full Mobilization Announced for Cavalry Brigade (Idaho)

A full mobilization of the Army National Guard's 116th Cavalry Brigade was announced today, including the eventual shift of 2,000 Idaho members to Iraq.

. . .

The previous order said 3,500 soldiers from 7 states would go, including 2,600 from Idaho. Today's order now says 4,300 will head to Iraq, including 2,000 from Idaho.

Guard spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Tim Marsano says they're going to help Iraq recover, not for combat.

. . .

The men and women could be gone from Idaho for two years.

http://www.kxly.com/common/getStory.asp?id=36838

is that a promise?

Tanks for the recovery! Bombs to feed the poor!

I know there's nothing that make me think 'recovery' more than a US military tank sitting on my street.

:eyes:

we are leaving ourselves undermanned. I wonder how low the recruitment levels will be from now on.

volunteer fire and law enforcement in their counties? I know here in MT, seems like a lot of the Guard and Reservists are also involved with emergency response teams in their towns/counties. Sending those people overseas leaves gaping holes in emergency response ability in rural areas where the population tends to have a higher average age. There are less folks young enough to take up the slack for taking care of disasters at home than in many places in the country.

My county has about 1200-1300 people (depending on where you get the figures) and the average age of people involved in farming/ranching is 50 something. The sheriff is on inactive reserves but under 45 and with law enforcement people being needed in Iraq, he could theoretically get called up if they do the special call for reservists with computer or law enforcement skills. One deputy is in the guard and may already be on alert to be shipped out. That would leave us with 1 peace officer for a county that is huge in area to cover.

Several EMTs could be called up any time. The nearest doctor is 85 miles away so the EMTs are sorta important people around here. There are several members of the volunteer fire department in the guard. Some of the road crew may also be leaving. We could be left with a population, the majority of which is well over 55 and not much in the way of emergency response personnel. I would guess much of Idaho is in similar situation.

We are in serious drought condition and fire season is not here yet. When it burns, it takes a lot of bodies to fight those fires. The Guard is usually called to help. There are hundreds of miles of unpatrolled border, and yes, we have had a few cross it who ended up arrested for arms violations, money laundering, drug sales and eventually put in the custody of the FBI. There is reason for concern that it is an easy way for terrorists to get into the US with trucks and equipment. Yeah, leaving places like MT and Idaho without most of their Guardsmen is a really BAD idea.

That the people on reserve for military service were the same people who covered their communities for their disasters and that this reserve call hurt small communities harder than more populated areas.

If this situation was a danger to our country's safety, the draw on our reserves would be necessary. But now, this is just shameful.

jeezus.......
:eyes:

that it won't threaten his election results if the Idaho guard & their families have their eyes opened about what's really going on in Iraq and who is benefitting (Haliburton/Bechtel/Saudi oil interests), and see their native sons/daughters coming home with major injuries.

Will they be properly supplied? Guess if you say they're going to help with the recovery effort, you can skip the vests & armor plating on their vehicles - or having enough bullets. Anyone know if any more guard are being called up from the "swing" states?

i'm sick at what i've done









so it goes...