Do we have enough National Guard for natural disasters and Iraq?

[Junkdrawer]

Poll question: Do we have enough National Guard for natural disasters and Iraq?

Yesterday, Bush said this:

...

Democrat Ben Nelson, Nebraska's other senator, said he now questions National Guard leaders' earlier assertions that they had enough resources to respond to natural disasters even with the Iraq war.

``I'm going to ask that question again,'' Nelson said. ``Do we have enough (troops), and if we do, why were they not deployed sooner?''

President Bush was asked that question Friday as he toured the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast area and said he disagrees with criticism the military is stretched too thin.

``We've got a job to defend this country in the war on terror, and we've got a job to bring aid and comfort to the people of the Gulf Coast, and we'll do both,'' he said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5252845,00.html

So, do we have enough National Guard for natural disasters and Iraq?

[ray of light]

1. great article

[Junkdrawer]

2. .

[Junkdrawer]

6. .

[AlCzervik]

3. When in was 11 we had the blizzard of 78 on the east coast

i grew up in mass. and the day after the storm almost all of the mass. Nationial Guard was deployed all around the state.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Similar story here...

I'm from Johnstown, PA. In 1978, after the cloud burst flood, National Guard troops were in every neighborhood within 24 hours.

[ihelpu2see]

5. a neighbor of mine just got back from his 2nd tour in Iraq.... I believe

he has been gone now between both tours for 1.5 years and I really don't think he would want to suite up again for Iraq I'm sure he would rather help the victims but still for him it is quite a stretch, I can't even imagine....

[cynatnite]

7. 300 Airmen Leaving Mideast for Gulf Coast

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - While the Army ordered its Louisiana-based troops to stay and fight in Iraq, the Air Force said Saturday it would send 300 airmen home from Iraq and Afghanistan to handle emergencies on a Mississippi air base devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

The airmen, all based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., will start flying home during the next two weeks, said Air Force Capt. David Small, spokesman for U.S. Central Command Air Forces in Qatar.

Nearly 100 more airmen scheduled to leave Keesler for war duty also will stay behind, said Brig. Gen. Allen G. Peck, the deputy commander of coalition air forces in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters.

"While our focus remains on fighting the war on terrorism, taking care of people is a top priority," Peck said in a statement. "They can't effectively perform the mission if their heads and hearts are focused on the safety and welfare of their loved ones."

The group includes airmen scheduled to rotate home in September and others whose deployments will be cut short.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_katrina