Media General News Service March 18, 2008
After five years, Iraq war taxes Guard
By Sean Mussenden
More than any recent conflict, the Iraq war has been the war of the part-time soldier.
National Guard troops have seen far more front-line duty in Iraq, which the U.S. invaded five years ago today, than their counterparts in the first Iraq war or in Vietnam.
And the military’s increased reliance on the guard has taxed National Guard units in every state.
Equipment that the guard uses to respond to natural disasters at home has been damaged or left behind in Iraq. Units in most states are operating with about half the trucks, planes, Humvees and other necessities they rely on to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies at home.
And with hurricane season less than three months away, states along the South Atlantic and gulf coasts have, on average, only six of 10 guard troops available to respond to domestic emergencies. The rest are in Iraq or Afghanistan or heading to or returning from the war zones.
The North Carolina guard has about 60 percent of the equipment it needs to respond to disasters at home, according to a guard spokesman. And about six in 10 guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The South Carolina guard has about 80 percent of the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a guard spokesman. Three of four guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The Florida guard has about half the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. Less than half of guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The Georgia guard has about half the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. Less than half of guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The Louisiana guard has about half the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. About four of five guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The Mississippi guard has about half the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. About a third of guard members are in the state and available to aid in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The Alabama guard has about half the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. Three of four guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The Tennessee guard has about half the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. Three of four guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The Virginia guard has about 40 percent of the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. About 60 percent of guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The Rhode Island guard has about half the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. Three of four guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
The Ohio guard has about half the equipment it needs to respond to disasters, according to a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. Three of four guard members are in the state and available to help in disaster recovery, according to the guard.
“In some of these states, the equipment is all torn up, and manpower is way down,” said John Pike, a military analyst at Globalsecurity.org.
National Guard units have long had to balance their two missions — domestic emergency response and national defense. Since 2001, the Pentagon has relied heavily on the guard — and its equipment — in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, governors in several disaster-hit states have complained that a lack of guard equipment was hindering cleanup.
The conflict came to a head last year, when the governors of California and Kansas complained loudly that shortages were slowing the response to wildfires and tornadoes.
That attention helped increase funding for National Guard equipment, said John Goheen, a spokesman for the National Guard Association.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, a Republican, and North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley, a Democrat, acted as point men for the National Governors Association in lobbying Congress and the Bush administration.
Just before Sept. 11, the average state National Guard had about 70 percent of the equipment it was supposed to have. It dipped to between 40 and 50 percent between 2005 and 2007.
“There seems to be a positive trend now. This time last year it was about 50 percent. Now it’s getting closer to 60 percent. We have seen some improvement,” Goheen said. “Now, for a state that still needs new trucks and Humvees, that’s not much consolation.”
Maj. Matt Handley, a spokesman for the North Carolina National Guard, said that the guard is prepared to respond to a major hurricane this year.
During Hurricane Floyd in 1999, the North Carolina guard deployed 6,500 troops. Today, the guard counts 11,500 in its ranks. If a similar hurricane hit this year, Handley said, they could deploy at least 6,500.
The war also affected recruitment levels in the state, at least temporarily. In 2005, the North Carolina guard hit only 97 percent of its goal, the lowest level in 20 years. It has since rebounded.
“It’s a fact of life. When you join the National Guard today, you’re going to mobilize. It may not be today, immediately, but it will happen,” Handley said.
Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., said that increased funding for National Guard equipment — $980 million — in this year’s defense budget will help replenish equipment.
“It’s a big problem. And more money isn’t the final answer, but it’s the answer to the problem we have now,” Spratt said.
For Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., the solution to the equipment problem and manpower problem is not money.
“I think we should just bring them home before we start putting more money into the military budget,” he said.
© Copyright 2008, Media General News Service
