National Guard Eyed in Fire Season

[Placebo]

The Northwest faces what could be one of its worst wildfire seasons in years, but military duty in Iraq means forestry officials might not be able to call on their states' National Guard units as much as they'd like.

Wildland fires burned more than 155,000 acres in 2004 across Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, and this year a preliminary outlook shows above-normal fire potential in the region because of a run of unusually dry weather.

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Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has already asked the Pentagon to free up some of his state's 1,500 National Guard soldiers still on active duty because of the war. Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said he couldn't do that, but he promised help from other states if Schweitzer asks for it.

U.S. operations in Iraq have stripped Montana of its 12 UH-60 Blackhawks, which played critical roles in 2003 when wildfires in Montana burned more than 736,800 acres.

More...

[ashmanonar]

1. yea, this is the reason we've always had a national guard...

to protect and support in the states! you don't take the GUARD out of the place they're supposed to protect. just now they realize what a mistake this was...:eyes:

[wakeme2008]

2. Send Active Duty Army in to help

if NG can be in Iraq doing Active Army duty... The Active Army troops in the states can do NG duty.. Sound fair to me.

[Zeke]

3. Crazy....

Got a video at Blockbuster this weekend.

Inside the video case was a National Guard
receruitment postcard to filling out and
joining the Guard.

The services are desperate and Bush made them desparate.

[Placebo]

4. Why anyone would join the guard right now...

I have no idea.

If you had to join anything, join the Air Force of Navy.

Who wants to be just another faceless statistic in Bush's war for profits?

[LiberalFighter]

9. Why is Blockbuster allowing them to do that?

[NYC]

13. Maybe Blockbuster didn't know.

Someone could slip it in while the movie is on the shelf.

[NNN0LHI]

5. States Look to National Guard as Last Resort in Fire Season (All in Iraq)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB0AYKLD7E.html

SEATTLE (AP) - The Northwest faces what could be one of its worst wildfire seasons in years, but military duty in Iraq means forestry officials might not be able to call on their states' National Guard units as much as they'd like. snip
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has already asked the Pentagon to free up some of his state's 1,500 National Guard soldiers still on active duty because of the war. Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said he couldn't do that, but he promised help from other states if Schweitzer asks for it.

U.S. operations in Iraq have stripped Montana of its 12 UH-60 Blackhawks, which played critical roles in 2003 when wildfires in Montana burned more than 736,800 acres.

The Blackhawks in the past were fitted with 600-gallon buckets to drop water on fires, said Maj. Scott Smith, a guard spokesman. An option this year could be to use the guard's four CH-47 Chinook helicopters, capable of carrying 2,000-gallon buckets - but first, flight engineers will have to be trained to serve on each four-person crew.

more

[cliss]

6. Interesting.......(taps fingers on the table)

About one month ago, newly elected governor of Washington Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency in Washington. "It's the sustained drought" she said. In particular, eastern Washington faces catastrophe because of the dryness.

The western part of the state is dry, as well. Rainfall is way below normal levels. Washington as well as Oregon has had a record dry winter. Like a tinderbox, these two states could burn through thousands of acres including farmlands, brush, forest and homes.

California has fared better although it's debatable; in a seeming "switch" of weather patterns, California has faced record rainfall resulting in landslides, houses buried in mud, and flooding.

Meanwhile, National Guardsmen, whose duty is to protect the country, are busy in Iraq fighting a fictitious war based on false premises. Washington surely knows the dilemma they're in.

If we end up with a dry summer w. lots of fires and no one to battle them, you better believe people are finally going to stand up and demand that their troops be returned home. I've read that Gov. Kulongoski of Oregon is trying to do just that. (a democrat, of course).

[XemaSab]

7. Things might not be better

further south because of the increased rainfall.

Increased rainfall means more growth of underbrush further south, and unless things stay wet through the summer, most of the moisture that's fallen will be gone by the end of july.

[pfitz59]

14. California is gonna be a blowtorch come August!

All that lush growth from record rainfall will be so much tinder. First Santa Ana and WATCH OUT!

[lawladyprof]

8. And if firefighters burn to death because those helicopters

or NG troops were elesewhere. . . .

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. But who cares about forest fires?

....when the Iraqi people are better off without Saddam.

:sarcasm:

[Thor_MN]

11. The Bush solution is easy... cut it down.

Sell the timbers right to donor companies at a miniscule fraction of its worth. It's hard work being an amoral, fascist war criminal.

[Nevernose]

15. You have to admit: it's impeccable logic

If we cut down the trees, then there won't be any forest fires. Bingo, problem solved!

Oh, this administration is a black humorist's wetdream...

[TygrBright]

12. Why don't the states recruit...

...some kind of Guard-like militia body, answerable only to the State governors and not eligible for conscription by the US Military for active war-fighting duty?

Same deal as the Guards-- weekend plus one-two weeks a year training, compensation for training time plus any active duty pulled, some form of benefits in state matching funds for education, health care, retirement, etc.

Could be mobilized for firefighting, natural disasters like tornados, floods, hurricanes, etc., supplemental law enforcement for high-security events, etc.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

curiously,
Bright