Scores of Mississippi National Guard troops in Iraq who lost homes to Hurricane have been refused even 15-day leaves to aid their displaced families, told by commanders there were too few U.S. troops in Iraq to spare them... Developing...

www.drudgereport.com

Life's a bitch. Welcome to the military in a time of war.

Chances are they'll find a way to bring them home. Would be the best thing. Those troops aren't exactly going to be in top-notch form if they're worrying about the folks back home.

I wonder how many troops we're actually talking about?

I personally think the Guard should not be used for overseas deployments. I think we should have 4 more division of regulars.

Quoted: I think we should have 4 more division of regulars.

More like 20.

That is what I would expect in a time of war.  

Its like the guardsmen/women that thought they would never be called up until 9/11.  

Yep, using National Guard troops outside the US border is defeating the purpose, IMO.

I wonder if you got leave for a hurricane during WWII, Korea, or Vietnam… I don’t think so.

Quoted: I personally think the Guard should not be used for overseas deployments. I think we should have 4 more division of regulars.

What about in previous wars, what about the reservists in WW2?  IMHO, we are in WW3, it just hasen't fully developed yet.  

WildBoar, I agree with you with the stipulation that they should not be used unless the need is dire.  We should have enough Regulars, and then as many National Guard as we can.  

We are just short of soldiers.   I am seriously thinking of signing up after I get out of college.  

It's exactly the purpose as the system was designed.  And it has worked quite well.  Unless you are a whiney Reservist or National Guardsman (or Guardswoman) who joined for the benefits but doesn't want to suffer the hardships.  

That said, the leaders there need to find a way to get those troops home to take care of their families if possible.

Quoted: Life's a bitch. Welcome to the military in a time of war.

War is over, remember?

Quoted: Quoted: I personally think the Guard should not be used for overseas deployments. I think we should have 4 more division of regulars. What about in previous wars, what about the reservists in WW2?  IMHO, we are in WW3WWIV, it just hasen't fully developed yet.

WWIII went from 1945-1989.  

Quoted: That said, the leaders there need to find a way to get those troops home to take care of their families if possible.

My guess is the will pull them out when they get replacements in place but to ask or even suggest whole units can just drop what they are doing and going home now is ridiculous and unreasonable.

Quoted: Quoted: Life's a bitch. Welcome to the military in a time of war. War is over, remember? i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/vstory.bush.banner.afp.jpg

Major combat operations are over.  We're no longer maneuvering divisions.  If you have problems discerning the difference, feel free to take up reading.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I personally think the Guard should not be used for overseas deployments. I think we should have 4 more division of regulars. What about in previous wars, what about the reservists in WW2?  IMHO, we are in WW3WWIV, it just hasen't fully developed yet.   WWIII went from 1945-1989.

DOH!  That is true.  I have even told people that.  

I can't count tonight.  WW4.  

Quoted: Quoted: Life's a bitch. Welcome to the military in a time of war. War is over, remember? i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/vstory.bush.banner.afp.jpg

That is a simply not true no one ever said that and you know it.

Quoted: Quoted: I think we should have 4 more division of regulars. More like 20.

And yet they wouldn't take me in just because I was "Canadian"  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Life's a bitch. Welcome to the military in a time of war. War is over, remember? i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/vstory.bush.banner.afp.jpg That is a simply not true no one ever said that and you know it.

You think someone could have told Bush before he got on that carrier with the big sign?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Life's a bitch. Welcome to the military in a time of war. War is over, remember? i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/vstory.bush.banner.afp.jpg That is a simply not true no one ever said that and you know it. You think someone could have told Bush before he got on that carrier with the big sign?

The mission was accomplished.  A new one arose that wasn't well planned for though.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Life's a bitch. Welcome to the military in a time of war. War is over, remember? i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/vstory.bush.banner.afp.jpg That is a simply not true no one ever said that and you know it. You think someone could have told Bush before he got on that carrier with the big sign?

I suggest you actually read the speech... and pay particular attention to the parts about the difficult work to do in Iraq in a country that remains dangerous…

And try to tell the truth next time.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I think we should have 4 more division of regulars. More like 20. hinking.gif And yet they wouldn't take me in just because I was "Canadian"  hr

They wouldn't take me in the Canadian army cause me so hony me so hony me love you too much.

Quoted: And try to tell the truth next time.

Why? He's got an agenda. The truth can go spit.

Quoted: I wonder if you got leave for a hurricane during WWII, Korea, or Vietnam… I don’t think so.

Yep, there are plenty of resources back home. Killing Muslim terrorists and their supporters overseas is more important in the long run.

Quoted: Quoted: And try to tell the truth next time. Why? He's got an agenda. The truth can go spit.

You have just as much of an agenda and just as much trouble telling the truth.

"The truth?  You can't handle the truth."

Quoted: Quoted: I think we should have 4 more division of regulars. More like 20.

Ask Bill Clinton for them back.

Some thoughts:

I have served in the regular Army, Army Reserve, and National Guard.  Even though it has been some time since I have served in these organizations I feel that I am as least qualified to voice my opinion about them.

All three entities have well qualified, intelligent and dedicated people within their respective organizations.  All three also have idiots, morons, goofballs, and the morally reprehensible amongst their ranks.  All organizations have these kinds of people in them that is nothing new.  

The sad truth is that there is a lack of professionalism at the National Guard level (many units, not all, but a very large number nationwide) due to the fact that the National Guard has become a method of gaining an extra monthly income, a college education, playing army, or as some think an exclusive fraternity (good old boys club that plays with big bad guns).  They are more than happy to spend one weekend a month at the armory or driving their equipment through mud puddles out in the country.  Heck what’s the worst that can happen?  The recruiter told them there may be a flood or a forest fire that they can get called up for.  That’s kind of cool, and now that their employer has said he supports the Guard and Reserves they can go play and get paid by the Guard and their employer will make up the difference between that and their full pay. WooHoo!

While all this was taking place at the local level:  Our Federal Government and majority of our elected representatives decided that we do not need near as many full time military personnel.  Massive cuts ensue and the US Military shrank dramatically in size and capability.  It’s so much better to spend the money on social programs and pork than to protect our country.  The Military even gets into this mode after a while.  Their thinking becomes: We don’t need to have boots on the ground, we need new high tech play toys that will kill a bazillion people with one squeeze of the trigger.  Everybody is happy, so much money and joy, more than enough to go around.

Flash forward to 1991 and the present.  We do not have enough regular personnel in any of the Armed Services to support our current operations.  We need boots on the ground in a hurry and there isn’t enough to be found anywhere.  We call up the Reserves and National Guard.  What do we get?  We get those professional I spoke of earlier the ones that are intelligent, qualified, physically fit and dedicated to protecting our Nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic.  But we also get the unqualified, morons, physically unfit slackers and pussys who whine:  “Oooooooh whoa is me; this isn’t what I signed up for.  I’m going to have to leave town, I’m going to have to be out of the country.  I might get hurt.  I’m not going to get paid enough.  I’ll miss my wife.  I’ll have to withdraw from school.  My mommy and daddy will miss me.  Oooooooh whoa is me!”  We have now put the reserve professionals in a position where we are endangering them because they have to put up with this kind of incompetence and garbage.

If we are going to be the only superpower on this planet we need to start acting like one and be able to cover our necessary commitments.  We need an additional 10 divisions (15-20 would be better) of ground troops.  We need them to be quick reaction troops with the ability to be deployed within 72-96 hours.  We need to turn the National Guard back over to the States to be used for operations such as disaster relief and crowed control.  National Guard units called to active duty should be used only in support roles.  Unless it is an all out war with our nation completely mobilized National Guard troops should not be on the front line.  To do so endangers too many lives.

Go ahead flame away.  I've been burnt before and I'm sure it will happen again.  I can take it I've still got meds.

Quoted: Quoted: Life's a bitch. Welcome to the military in a time of war. War is over, remember? i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/vstory.bush.banner.afp.jpg

Hey, is this a new DU troll?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Life's a bitch. Welcome to the military in a time of war. War is over, remember? i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/vstory.bush.banner.afp.jpg Hey, is this a new DU troll?

nah, it's an old DU troll.

The LA and MS guard units are being brough home early and they plan to keep them activated once back so that the members have some income and work to do.  It would be pretty screwy to let them go on 15 days leave if their unit is going to redploy in the next 15-30 days anyway.

GunLvr

Quoted: Yep, using National Guard troops outside the US border is defeating the purpose, IMO.

Hardly

The PURPOSE of the NG & Fed Reserve components is to reduce costs by not maintaining soldiers on the active duty payroll who will only be needed in case of extended combat operations.

In other words, the NG & Reserve fill the role that was once handled by the draft.

Instead of a draft, we just call up reservists/NG....

Remember that when you think about past wars -> the pre-70s force structure was built around the Selective Service - we don't do that anymore...