Guy on CNN just now: Mississippi "borrowing" 800 Natl Guard from Alabama

LA governor also said her state was "borrowing" Guardsmen.

How many will die while the "borrowed" Guardsmen make their way to the ravaged states

before this thing is over.

Protecting the U$ of A states from harm within the U$of A borders.
:grr: :sarcasm:

Mobile is still under water.

How's the emergency response? Great, never better....feds doing a great job. Right Haley....covering for Dimson and his nation-building fiasco. I hope this gets some serious exposure...

....ahead of his state.

'hurricane fatigue' and didn't think Katrina would be as bad as it was/is. He won't say that a lot of people didn't evacuate because they simply had no means to do so. Doesn't want to address that sad situation.

with worry about their loved ones in the affected states? :(

I bet they wouldn't mind.

....that would disrespect the sacrifices of the dead.

Asshole :grr:

One thing that I don't think anyone has asked is perhaps one reason there are so many National Guard troops in Iraq instead of regular army is the cost. Does anyone know what the pay is for these "citizen" soldiers vs regular army, specifically does combat pay for regular soldiers increase their pay to the point that it is cheaper to call up the Guard. Afterall Rummy was determined to fight this mess as cheaply as possible.

Hopefully the lack of the Guard for Katrina will make more people aware of how screwed up this government is. BTW is their a betting pool for when King George will make an appearance? Of course I only expect him to go to Mississippi (since the gov is the former head of the RNC) and then just mumble an excuse why he can't go to NO.

Steppin up security...

Is the same once a National Guard member is activated.


The reason so many National Guard are used in Iraq actually goes back many years to the introduction of the "Total Force" concept.

Active duty support units were deactivated in order to decrease the size of the active armed forces and NG/Reserve units were assigned to take up support roled in case of conflict.

At the same time private contrator roles were increased that further reduced the size of active forces and streamlined ur military.

I am not saying I am for or against the "Total Force" concept. I am just explaining it.

Grrrrr............

I would imagine most are still there. :(

http://www.nola.com/military/256th/index.ssf?/military/256th/stories/256_8sw.html

<snip>

3,000 La. soldiers get orders for Iraq
National Guard units will leave for Baghdad in October
Friday, July 9, 2004
From staff and wire reports
Citizen soldiers of the Army National Guard, including nearly 3,000 from south Louisiana, will assume a notably more prominent role in the next rotation of U.S. combat forces into Iraq beginning late this year, officials said Thursday.
The number of National Guard brigades in Iraq will grow from three to five, and for the first time in Iraq a National Guard division headquarters will command active-duty brigades. Overall, National Guard and Reserve forces will make up 42 percent or 43 percent of the total force in Iraq, the director of operations for the Joint Staff, Lt. Gen. Norton Schwartz, told Congress on Wednesday. That compares with a 39 percent share presently and 25 percent last year, he said.

The 3,000 troops of the 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana National Guard will be teamed up with two brigades of the regular Army 3rd Infantry Division and deployed to the Baghdad area for one year. Members of the 256th, which includes the New Orleans-based Washington Artillery battalion, have been training since April at Fort Hood, Texas. They are expected to go through two more months of exercises -- including a stint at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif. -- before heading first to Kuwait, and then Iraq in November. There they will replace the 1st Cavalry Division, which has suffered scores of casualties during its 18-month deployment.

Four other Guard brigades, including the 155th Armored Brigade from Mississippi, will be sent in the next rotation. There are a total of about 140,000 U.S. forces now in Iraq, and about 130,000 are scheduled for the next rotation, Schwartz said.

Seriously...that's what I just heard!