"Stephen Harding" wrote in message
...
ArtKramr wrote:

How about we fix it so that in case of national emergency the guard goes
FIRST
before the regular troops. Great idea huh? Think we would still get
everyone
flocking to the National Guard in that case? I know Bush would have
been first
in line to join up.. Right?

I don't think people are exactly flocking to the Guard any more,
given the rather lengthy, and sometimes consecutive, or round-robin
deployments.

Not certain people in the Guard really expected to be used so hard.
There have been a few "freeloaders" who were happy to collect their
check from Uncle when it only meant a few days a month and a "summer
camp" for a couple weeks, but suddenly felt it unfair when ordered
to pack up and head out for the desert. Overall though, I think the
Guard units have held up very well, with really minimal griping that
one might expect from "citizen soldiers".

I don't think the Secret Service would let Bush sign up for the Guard
right now. But hey, Kerry has combat experience as an officer, and
decorations! He'd probably be in demand for the current exercise in
Middle East democracy building, no?


SMH

On CNN the other night, they were visiting a high school that is adjacent to
a military base, I was somewhat surprised there were kids of single parents,
that were serving in Iraq, do the single parents in the Guards, that have
school age children, have the option of being excused oversea duties ?
BMC