4,000 Florida National Guardsmen to be called up for active duty

[seafan]

Source: Miami Herald

More than 4,000 Florida National Guard soldiers, including some 600 from South Florida, are to be called to active duty in the next few months in what is the largest mobilization in state history.
Most of the troops called up will be deployed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Guard spokesman Lt. Col Ron Tittle. Others could be assigned to federal security missions in the United States.

.....

The Florida Guard call-ups will come at the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. A third of all Guard troops could be out of the state by January 2010.
Guard officials insisted Florida still will be prepared to respond to any emergency, including multiple strikes from a Category 5 hurricane. They said there will be 8,000 remaining National Guard and Air National Guard troops, new equipment and reciprocal aid agreements with other states.

The state faced a similar manpower situation in 2004 and 2005, when Florida was pummeled by a series of hurricanes while the Florida Guard was heavily involved in the early stages of the Iraq war.

''We are in better shape now than we were then,'' said Tittle, who spoke about hurricane preparedness recently at a meeting of the Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce.
Trucks and Humvees that the Guard left in Iraq have been replaced, and new equipment has bolstered state resources, Tittle said. Included in that equipment are four CH-47 Chinook helicopters, several high-water all-terrain vehicles and improved mobile communication units.

.....

[shanti]

1. why???

is obama still continuing the usage of NG for foreign duty??

[seafan]

2. I don't agree with it either. Another quagmire Bush left behind.

The equipment replacement is good news, though. I swear, George W. Bush screwed up everything he touched in the past 8 miserable years of the Coup of 2000.

[hack89]

6. The National Guard is part of the US Army

their purpose is to fight America's wars. This idea that they are not supposed to fight overseas is incorrect - Viet Nam was the first major war where they did not fight overseas in large numbers.

During World War I, the National Guard provided 40% of the US Army's combat forces. Guard membership doubled in 1940, and provided 19 divisions during World War II, of which the National Guard units were among the first to deploy overseas and the first to fight. Later, 138,000 National Guardsmen were deployed for Korea, and many other smaller deployments. During the Vietnam war, almost 23,000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called up for a year of active duty; some 8,700 were deployed to Vietnam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_National_Guard_of_the_United_States

This notion that the NG is a stay at home, natural disaster kind of organization is wrong.

[peace13]

8. I think our army is pretty well understaffed.

Not to mention people being rotated in and out of war for over six years. * managed to deplete our Armed Services and now Obama is made to look like he is the problem. I feel sorry for the soldiers from FL but to the comment about the hurricane season coming, well... states have been dealing with floods, tornados, and fires without their Guardsmen and women. Every state has sacrificed. If they don't like it they should speak out for the good of the order and get the troops out of Iraq. Peace, kim

[rcrush]

3. ...

:banghead:

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. I wanna know what "federal security missions in the United States".

means.
Federal???
not State?
I thought NG was a STATE function.
Notice the ariticle says 4,000 will be called up but only 1/3 of "all" NG will be out of state by next Jan.
So the other 2/3...are they being held here for "federal security missions in the United States."???

Did I miss any memos about us planning to riot????

[movonne]

5. Maybe it has something with the neo-cons and the neo-nazi's causing

trouble..

[hack89]

7. Border security and counter narcotics are the most common missions.

this site has more details.

http://www.ngb.army.mil/features/HomelandDefense/jfhq/index.html

The National Guard is an official part of the US Army - it is is funded by the federal government as a component part of the US Army. It can be called to federal service when ever the President directs.

[Winterblues]

9. One Brigade a Month to leave Iraq

A promise made but not kept..National Guard should be just what the name implies. They should not be sent off to foreign lands to do God knows what.. they are to Protect their state from Natural disasters or other problems. Regular Army should be used for foreign pursuits...This is wrong wrong wrong....Bring our troops home from Iraq and the Guard won't be needed..

[hack89]

11. You are wrong

the National guard has always fought America's wars. They comprise 40 percent of the US Army - they equipped and trained to fight wars, not natural disasters.

[Winterblues]

13. Not during the era I grew up in

We had a Draft. Not many National Guardsmen in Korea or Vietnam. They were always referred to as weekend warriors. During the two Workld Wars you are quite correct. They were needed and essential. After Vietnam when we formed an all volunteer army the National Guard once again became essential. It should not be that way... When I was in the Army we had Serial numbers and they began with your status such as ER for Enlisted Reserve, US for Drafted Persons, RA for Regualr Army, and NG for National Guard. National Guard was always treated as a joke. They did not receive the same training at all. They received ONLY the eight week Basic Training and then went back home...After the all volunteer Military was instituted I am sure their training was increased and improved....There was a reason they are called National Guard and not Enlisted Reserve or Regular Army....

[hack89]

14. 140,000 Guardsmen fought in Korea

Viet Nam was the only exception. More to the point, the modern NG is organized, equipped and trained as an integral part of the regular army. My only point that the notion that the NG's primary mission is state disaster relief is simply not true. If anything, they are resuming their historic role as war fighters

[Mari333]

10. sounds like the last 8 yrs headlines.

what utter bullshit. bring them all home . end this shit.

[jody]

16. Agree, Obama has the authority, withdraw immediately except for essential logistic support. n/t

[Vidar]

12. They're Obama's wars now.

[jody]

15. CIC Obama has ordered the call up and recruitment is difficult. I hope every qualified Obama

supporter will volunteer.