Our National Guard: Too High a Price

Our National Guard: Too High a Price

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/our-national-guard-too-high-a-price.pdf

Almost Half of Soldiers Scheduled to Deploy to Iraq from National Guard

Veterans for America (VFA) is greatly concerned that between now and the end of President George W. Bush’s term in office on January 20, 2009, almost half of the Soldiers who are scheduled to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan – totaling almost 20,000 troops – will come from the National Guard.

Further, nearly half of the Army National Guard Brigade Combat Teams (BCT’s) deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan in this time frame will be on their second tour. Also, VFA has found that a very high percentage of Guard members in units on their first deployment will be on their second or greater deployment. More than 50% of members of the Washington National Guard have been deployed before, as have more than 30% of the New Jersey Guard.

To put the deployments of the National Guard in historical context, at least 35 states have deployed more troops to Iraq and Afghanistan than to any war since World War II. 1 In all, as of March 31, 2008, more than 267,399 members of the National Guard have been deployed since September 11, 2001, and, as of that date, 32,871 National Guard troops were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Between now and January 20, 2009, the deploying National Guard BCT’s will come from Hawaii, Illinois (again), New Jersey (again), Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Beginning in spring 2009, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania (again), Tennessee, Texas (again), Vermont, and Wisconsin are scheduled to deploy National Guard BCT’s

Traditionally, Guard leaders have aimed to give their troops five times as much time at home as deployed. None of the three Army National Guard Brigade Combat Teams scheduled to deploy for a second time later this year will have had five years at home between deployments. This means that many Soldiers who are soon to deploy will have had insufficient time at home to rest, recuperate, and integrate new members. In addition, as numerous Army studies have demonstrated, multiple deployments with inadequate time at home have severe post-combat psychological consequences.

Any discussion of Iraq war policy must address the consequences of these deployment policies. Last year, the Department of Defense found that members of the National Guard who had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan were 25% more likely to have suffered a combat-related psychological wound than members of the active-duty Army who have been deployed. 2 Within the past two weeks, an Army history of the Iraq war found that “the price paid by reservists and communities to sustain long and repetitive mobilizations…may not be sustainable in the future. “The 360-degree threat” environments of Iraq and Afghanistan have placed members of the National Guard in harm’s way to a degree never expected – with devastating consequences.

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