Governors raise concerns to Bush* about National Guard

[Bandit]

WASHINGTON - Governors worried about increasing demands on National Guard units want to hear from the Bush administration about its long-term strategy in the fight against terrorism.

State leaders raised their concerns in a private meeting with the top Guard general and Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge.
“It’s not that we’re not supportive of the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq,” said Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. “We have to kind of step back and rethink the whole picture.” Like other governors, he said the part-time soldiery has seen a transformation in recent years.

<snip>

“We’ve got a real retention issue,” said Republican Mark Sanford of South Carolina, a member of the Air Force Reserve.

“You’re going to see just an emptying, when people’s tickets are up, ... of Guardsmen not stepping up to the plate,” he said.

Said Democrat Tom Vilsack of Iowa: “We need two things — predictability and stability.”

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4346118/

[underpants]

1. AND concerns about first responders

I know you couldn't post all of this article but I wanted to make sure that everyone sees how much of a problem this is.


States often rely on their Air and Army Guard units to help in emergencies such as hurricanes, earthquakes or riots. In the past two years, their roles has expanded even more, assisting in homeland security patrols.


Deployment management plan
According to a document obtained by The Associated Press, Blum told governors that the goal was to manage deployment so half of each state’s units would remain at home and be available for state needs; one-quarter would be deployed for federal needs; and one-quarter would be going through intensive training for deployment.


'These are people we need'
“They’re coming from the community. It may be a police officer, it may be a milk carrier, it may be a teacher,” said Republican Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho.

[TacticalPeek]

2. "Shut up and eat your tax cut."

Dialogue? We don't need no stinking dialogue.

[StClone]

3. Dare they Challenge the Remander and Thief

If he weren't so busy he'd climb into his moth balled F-102 and show the NG how one guy with God gets things done. Bush an Army Undone.

[lovedems]

4. My brother is a Limpballs republican

and he is so pro-bu$h it is grosse. We are not able to talk about politics because he has gotten into the republican habit of answering a question with a question. If I bring up AWOL he says "What about Clinton?". See how that is done? He shifts responsibility.

Anyway, I finally shut his ass up Sunday when I said, "If you feel so strongly about this war, get up off your ass and go sign up to fight it". He looked at me in disbelief. You have to bear in mind this is a guy who got over 100,000$ bonus from Enoron,the year they went down the toilet. I also shut him up when I told him he should get a phone call from an attorney telling him he owes some people some pension money. He is living high on the hog off people who lost their retirements. That is not right.

I think he is on the verge of hating me.

[zbdent]

5. Better yet, if he has kids, tell him to sign up his kids to the marines

and let them be the first ones in.

That should really shut him up. If they are so for this (or any war), then Repukes should be happy to sacrifice their kids for the cause.

[lovedems]

7. Well, you see, like I said, since he is a limpballs republican

that, by default makes him a dumbass republican.

He has two daughters ages 8 and 2. He thinks they will be safe from any draft or voluntary enlistment (I on the other hand have 4 boys, screw him 10 fold for not thinking of my kids, his nephews). I also shut his ass up when I told him that he votes for the chimp and the chimp brings the draft back, he will no longer be welcome in my house and that if they do bring the draft back, he shouldn't expect his lovely daughters to be immune from it.

My grandfather was a Marine and was on Iwo-Jima. I have pictures in my attic of my grandfather on the island and the blood that was spilled. He would never talk about it. Ever. However, he talk about how he hated war (and he very little respect for the Red Cross too). I wish my brother would have listened to him more before he died.

[Bandit]

6. Little more info

The United States National Guard is a significant part of the USA's military reserve as well as a state-level militia and disaster relief force. The National Guard should not be confused with the Reserves of the various services which serve primarily as training units for replacements to active component forces.

Duties
National Guard units can be mobilized at any time by presidential order to supplement regular armed forces, and upon declaration of a state of emergency by the governor of the state in which they serve. Unlike Army Reserve servicemembers, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually (except through voluntary transfers), but only as part of their respective units.


History
The National Guard is the development of the American militia during and before the revolutionary struggle against Britain. Following independence, the Constitution empowered Congress to "provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia." But the appointment of officers and training of the militia was given to the states to regulate.

Throughout the 19th century the regular Army was small, and so the militia provided the majority of the troops during the Mexican War, the start of the American Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. In 1903 the militia was renamed the National Guard and organized as a Reserve force for the Army. In World War I, the National Guard made up 40% of the U.S. combat divisions in France. In World War II the National Guard made up nineteen divisions. 140,000 Guardsmen were mobilized for Korea and over 63,000 for Operation Desert Storm. They have also participated in the US peacekeeping forces in Somalia, Haiti, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bosnia, and Kosovo as well as for natural disasters, strikes, riots and security for the Olympics when they have been in the states.

The National Guard while under state command is not subject to thePosse Comitatus Act <http://www.baltimorechronicle.com/posse_aug02.html> and can engage in law enforcement activities. These law enforcement powers generally disappear when the National Guard is Federalized.

Following WW II, the National Guard aviation units became the Air National Guard. There is no Naval National Guard due to the constitutional provision against states having ships of war in time of peace, though both New York and Maryland have incorporated Naval Militia units.


United States Code
TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 67 - MILITARY AND NAVY
Section 1385. Use of Army and Air Force as posse comitatus

Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly
authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses
any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or
otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than two years, or both.