http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jan/25/pentagon-domestic-troops-low/Pentagon: Domestic troops low
WASHINGTON — President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq and the demands of the four-year-old war are causing concern at the Pentagon that the conflict could hamper the military's response to domestic crises.
The head of the National Guard said his troops lack the necessary equipment and that will hurt their ability to respond to natural or manmade disasters at home.
"I am not as comfortable as some others seem to be in accepting the low readiness levels here at home," Lt. Gen. Steven Blum said Wednesday. "It creates a problem. It will cost us time and time will translate into lives."
Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Northern Command, also said there may be "specific equipment shortfalls that, in the longer term, could have an impact on our ability to respond."
Keating also said that right now, "the analysis we've done does not indicate any significant degradation in our ability to respond" to a crisis at home.