National Guard no longer a detour from war duty [GAG ALERT]

The Miami Herald ^ | 18 February 2004 | Dennis Jett

[MegaSilver]

President Bush's defense of his military service during the Vietnam War must have brought back memories to a whole generation of Americans. Anyone who was a male in his late teens or early 20s during the late 1960s and early 1970s knows the dilemma that Bush faced. They also know that his version of history does not tell the whole story.

Most Americans may not understand that. A majority of Americans were either born after the fighting ended in 1975 or were too young to have any first-hand knowledge of it. They might think that war was just like the current one.

In Vietnam, however, the number of American troops reached more than half a million, roughly five times the number currently in Iraq. In some weeks as many of them died in Vietnam as have been killed in Iraq in the entire time since we invaded last March.

Our leaders justified the war by saying that it was necessary to prevent Vietnam and the rest of the region from falling to communism like a row of dominos. Now we are told that, even if there are no weapons of mass destruction, the war was required so Iraq and rest of the region will fall to democracy like a row of dominos. Then, as now, we had allies who fought alongside our troops. Then, as now, our soldiers did most of the dying.

The most fundamental difference between the two wars, however, is the draft and its effect on people's lives. There were 27 million men who were potentially eligible for military service between 1964 and 1975. Of that number 9 million served on active duty, and another 2 million were in the reserves or the National Guard. Only 2.6 million actually saw service in Vietnam.

Initially, deferments from the draft were easy to obtain. As the war dragged on, getting drafted became a real and growing possibility for many. As men began to be drafted off college campuses and sent off to fight, the war went from mildly to wildly unpopular.

One way to avoid the draft was to have been a father, and 3.5 million men took advantage of that way out. Others hoped to be found physically unfit and played up their ailments. For the healthy and single, there were two sure ways to avoid the draft -- going to Canada or joining the National Guard.

Joining the military to avoid the military might seem strange. But everyone knew that with a large standing army and a huge pool of potential draftees, the chances of those in the Guard being called up and sent to Vietnam were close to zero. Casualty figures bear that out. Of the 58,193 Americans who died in Vietnam only 97, or less than two-tenths of one percent, were in the Guard, while 17,672, or over 30 percent, were draftees.

Today our army is much smaller and all volunteer. Very few Americans are affected by Iraq, and most probably don't even have a relative or close friend in the military.

The only ''civilians'' who face having their lives disrupted by this war are the members of the National Guard. They have been called up in large numbers and have displayed as much bravery and made as many sacrifices as the full-time members of the armed forces.

The president may have used his family connections to jump to the head of a two-year waiting list to get into the Guard. Whether he made the required weekend drills or not, he did not join simply out of a desire to serve his country. If he had, he would have maintained his flight status and he would not have bailed out eight months early to head off to Harvard Business School.

Every American who was of draft age during that time dealt with the possibility of fighting in an unpopular war in his own way. More than 90 percent of them never got to Vietnam, and there is no dishonor inherent in that. There is dishonor in falsely glorifying one's motivations and actions 30 years later, however, and in attempting to depict those who question them as questioning the sacrifices being made by those in the Guard today.

Dennis Jett is dean of the University of Florida's International Center. He spent most of the Vietnam War in the Naval Reserve.

[TADSLOS]

Keep it up, Libs. Can't wait to watch this one explode their faces.

[colorado tanker]

Insult everyone who served in the Guard, Reserves, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard during the Vietnam era as draft dodgers. Only the Dims could come up with such a dumb strategy. Keep visiting Guard units, President Bush!

[Spok]

When the liberals defended Clinton's war record, or lack thereof, I thought the war hero issue was dead. I under estimated the left's capacity for hypocrisy.

[Paradox]

Of the 58,193 Americans who died in Vietnam only 97, or less than two-tenths of one percent, were in the Guard, while 17,672, or over 30 percent, were draftees.

I wonder what were the numbers as to the numbers who served (and not just died?). I am curious.

[stuartcr]

Were you in the bush holding you best friend with his guts coming out? Were you there wishing to hell there was some way you could have gotten out of coming here? Believe me, there were a lot of folks over there that thought exactly this way about the NGs and ERs. I realize the NG is a good and necessary organisation, but I am sick of people saying this is a bunch of liberal crap. It's true...maybe not now, but it was then.

[lelio]

The president may have used his family connections to jump to the head of a two-year waiting list to get into the Guard.

Was there a two year waiting list to get into the National Guard?

[Chi-townChief]

I know a couple of guys who walked right in to the Illinois National Guard in '71 or '72.

[Loyal Buckeye]

"Insult everyone who served in the Guard, Reserves, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard during the Vietnam era as draft dodgers."

And that would include my wife's stepfather who died when he crashed his National Guard plane while landing.

[.cnI redruM]

This gets old, but I'll keep hammering the p*****!

From The USANG Homepage.

http://www.ang.af.mil/history/Heritage/VietnamWar.asp

Vietnam War

On 23 January 1968, the North Koreans seized the American spy ship, U.S.S. Pueblo. President Johnson ordered a limited reserve mobilization. Next, the communists' Tet offensive in South Vietnam in February 1968 stretched American military resources thinner. The President ordered another small mobilization. In response to the first presidential order, the ANG mobilized 9,343 personnel on 25 January 1968. Within 36 hours, approximately 95 percent of the Air Guardsmen had reported to their units. Those included eight tactical fighter groups, three tactical reconnaissance groups and three wing headquarters. The fighter units, which had been beneficiaries of additional resources under the "Combat Beef" program, were rated combat ready when called into federal service. Primarily because of equipment shortages, the reconnaissance units took about a month to prepare themselves for overseas service. The President mobilized and additional 1,333 Air Guardsmen on 13 May. ANG units mobilized in May included two tactical fighter groups and a medical evacuation unit. The former, equipped with F-86Hs, were sent to Cannon AFB, New Mexico to train Air Force pilots as forward air controllers and combat crewmen. The latter transported military patients in the continental U.S. and the Caribbean.

On 3 May, F-100s from the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Colorado) arrived at Phan Rang Air Base. By 1 June, all of the l20th's pilots were flying combat missions. In the meantime, the 174th (Iowa), 188th (New Mexico), and the 136th (New York) had all deployed to Vietnam with their F-100s. In addition, 85 percent of the 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron -- on paper a regular Air Force unit -- were Air Guardsmen. The Air Guard units were quickly and effectively integrated into Air Force combat operations in Southeast Asia (SEA). Prior to their return home in April 1969, they flew 24,124 sortie and 38,614 combat hours. Those numbers rose to approximately 30,000 sorties and 50,000 combat hours if the predominantly Air Guard 355th was included. Two ANG fighter squadrons and their F-100Cs were dispatched to Korea in the summer of 1968 to replace the Air Force units that had been rushed there during the Pueblo crisis. The 166th (Ohio) and the 127th (Kansas) were formed into the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing. Except for the two flying squadrons, the wing consisted of individual Guardmembers and Air Force Reservists from other units. Once the Pueblo's crew was returned, the Air Guardsmen returned to the U.S. and left federal service shortly thereafter.

The 123rd TRW experienced a difficult tour of active duty. The wing and its four units -- the 123rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group (Kentucky), 189th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (TRG) (Arkansas), 152nd TRG (Reno), and the 123rd Reconnaissance Technical Squadron (RTS) (Arkansas) -- had not been rated combat-ready when mobilized on 26 January 1968 primarily due to equipment shortages. The l23rd's RF-101s began functioning as the primary Air Force tactical reconnaissance platforms in the continental U.S. Elements of its squadrons rotated temporary duty assignments in Japan and Korea from July 1968 until April 1969 providing photo reconnaissance support to American forces in those areas.

Air Guard volunteers also supported Air Force operations in Southeast Asia. The first sizable ANG airlift involvement began in 1965. They flew regularly to SEA until 1972. Between August 1965 and September, Air Guard domestic and offshore aeromedical evacuation flights freed active duty Air Force resources for such missions in SEA. In July 1970, two EC-121 "Super Constellations" from Pennsylvania's 193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron departed their home station for Korat, Thailand. During the next six months, about 60 Guardsmen were rotated through the latter installation on 30 to 60 day tours in Operation "Commando Buzz," Their aircraft served as flying radar stations and airborne control platforms for U.S. air operations in SEA until January 1971.

[.cnI redruM]

This gets old, but I'll keep hammering the p*****!

From The USANG Homepage.

http://www.ang.af.mil/history/Heritage/VietnamWar.asp

Vietnam War

On 23 January 1968, the North Koreans seized the American spy ship, U.S.S. Pueblo. President Johnson ordered a limited reserve mobilization. Next, the communists' Tet offensive in South Vietnam in February 1968 stretched American military resources thinner. The President ordered another small mobilization. In response to the first presidential order, the ANG mobilized 9,343 personnel on 25 January 1968. Within 36 hours, approximately 95 percent of the Air Guardsmen had reported to their units. Those included eight tactical fighter groups, three tactical reconnaissance groups and three wing headquarters. The fighter units, which had been beneficiaries of additional resources under the "Combat Beef" program, were rated combat ready when called into federal service. Primarily because of equipment shortages, the reconnaissance units took about a month to prepare themselves for overseas service. The President mobilized and additional 1,333 Air Guardsmen on 13 May. ANG units mobilized in May included two tactical fighter groups and a medical evacuation unit. The former, equipped with F-86Hs, were sent to Cannon AFB, New Mexico to train Air Force pilots as forward air controllers and combat crewmen. The latter transported military patients in the continental U.S. and the Caribbean.

On 3 May, F-100s from the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Colorado) arrived at Phan Rang Air Base. By 1 June, all of the l20th's pilots were flying combat missions. In the meantime, the 174th (Iowa), 188th (New Mexico), and the 136th (New York) had all deployed to Vietnam with their F-100s. In addition, 85 percent of the 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron -- on paper a regular Air Force unit -- were Air Guardsmen. The Air Guard units were quickly and effectively integrated into Air Force combat operations in Southeast Asia (SEA). Prior to their return home in April 1969, they flew 24,124 sortie and 38,614 combat hours. Those numbers rose to approximately 30,000 sorties and 50,000 combat hours if the predominantly Air Guard 355th was included. Two ANG fighter squadrons and their F-100Cs were dispatched to Korea in the summer of 1968 to replace the Air Force units that had been rushed there during the Pueblo crisis. The 166th (Ohio) and the 127th (Kansas) were formed into the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing. Except for the two flying squadrons, the wing consisted of individual Guardmembers and Air Force Reservists from other units. Once the Pueblo's crew was returned, the Air Guardsmen returned to the U.S. and left federal service shortly thereafter.

The 123rd TRW experienced a difficult tour of active duty. The wing and its four units -- the 123rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group (Kentucky), 189th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (TRG) (Arkansas), 152nd TRG (Reno), and the 123rd Reconnaissance Technical Squadron (RTS) (Arkansas) -- had not been rated combat-ready when mobilized on 26 January 1968 primarily due to equipment shortages. The l23rd's RF-101s began functioning as the primary Air Force tactical reconnaissance platforms in the continental U.S. Elements of its squadrons rotated temporary duty assignments in Japan and Korea from July 1968 until April 1969 providing photo reconnaissance support to American forces in those areas.

Air Guard volunteers also supported Air Force operations in Southeast Asia. The first sizable ANG airlift involvement began in 1965. They flew regularly to SEA until 1972. Between August 1965 and September, Air Guard domestic and offshore aeromedical evacuation flights freed active duty Air Force resources for such missions in SEA. In July 1970, two EC-121 "Super Constellations" from Pennsylvania's 193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron departed their home station for Korat, Thailand. During the next six months, about 60 Guardsmen were rotated through the latter installation on 30 to 60 day tours in Operation "Commando Buzz," Their aircraft served as flying radar stations and airborne control platforms for U.S. air operations in SEA until January 1971.

[colorado tanker]

I thank you for your service, but I just don't agree with veterans bashing other veterans.

All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters, either. Every single man in this Army plays a vital role. Don't ever let up. Don't ever think that your job is unimportant. Every man has a job to do and he must do it. Every man is a vital link in the great chain. What if every truck driver suddenly decided that he didn't like the whine of those shells overhead, turned yellow, and jumped headlong into a ditch? The cowardly bastard could say, 'Hell, they won't miss me, just one man in thousands.' But, what if every man thought that way? Where in the hell would we be now? What would our country, our loved ones, our homes, even the world, be like? No, Goddamnit, Americans don't think like that. Every man does his job. Every man serves the whole. Every department, every unit, is important in the vast scheme of this war. The ordnance men are needed to supply the guns and machinery of war to keep us rolling. The Quartermaster is needed to bring up food and clothes because where we are going there isn't a hell of a lot to steal. Every last man on K.P. has a job to do, even the one who heats our water to keep us from getting the 'G.I. Shits.'

Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.

[Arkinsaw]

It's true...maybe not now, but it was then.

Bullsh*t. My dad was full-time National Guard during the whole Vietnam war. He joined the Coast Guard right after the end of WWII and then joined the National Guard back in the middle 1950's, well prior to Vietnam. He served full-time until the late 1970s until he was disabled in an accident.

I don't care what bigotry you had in Vietnam towards the NG you have no right to criticize either Bush or my dad's service.

[colorado tanker]

I am sorry for your loss. The Dims overlook that driving jet fighters is dangerous even if no one is shooting at you.

[Cicero]

Anyone who thinks that joining the National Guard as a fighter pilot in those days was a guarantee of not going to Vietnam is out of his skull.

There were NO guarantees. Many NGers were called up. More importantly, many more NGers MIGHT have been called up. It's all very well in hindsight to say that Bush wasn't called up because he trained on the wrong kind of plane. But the armed forces have never been famous for handling personnel matters in any kind of logical way.

I was a graduate student in literature, so personnel sent me to Army Electronics School. When I went to basic training, the man chosen to be our company clerk could not read. He had to hold the KP list up alongside our chests so he could see if the names matched.

I think it was Robert Heinlein or some other SF writer who said that your fairy godmother and the wicked witch of the west both work for army personnel, and it's the luck of the draw which orders you get. There's NO WAY to predict it.

[1234]

"...but I am sick of people saying this is a bunch of liberal crap. It's true...maybe not now, but it was then."

i agree

[stuartcr]

Sorry, I usually try not to let my feelings get in the way of my typing, but I am sick of this crap. People in the military bash each other daily, especially if you're getting shot at, and the other guy isn't. War is not all glory and flag-waving and quotes.

[stuartcr]

War is not very polite, if I appear to be bigoted against the NG, then I am, and I have no qualms about admitting it. This was not aimed at your father, if he was one of the few that were there, sorry if you take offense, but that's the way I am.

[Cicero]

To give another instance of how personnel works, when I received my orders promoting me to Spec5, our company sergeant told me he was really PO'd because he had recommended that I should never be promoted. I think he suspected me of having been behind the moment when our platoon, having all grown mustaches, all pulled yo-yos out of our pockets during an inspection. (Well, we were all just techs.) Fortunately we were ordered to shave our mustaches.

[p. henry]

I became of draft age in 1969. I therefore paid rapt attention to my lottery (the second one). Had I not received a high number, I would have chosen the John Kerry route to avoiding ground combat in Vietnam: I would have enrolled in Navy ROTC and ultimately joined the United States Navy. I see nothing inherently more or less honorable in that course of action than in joining the Air National Guard. In fact, one could make an argument that, if honor is measured by hazard to life and limb, flying a jet aircraft was more honorable than most Navy billets, excluding Naval aviators, SEALS, and the personnel on the swift boats (after they went into the Mekong Delta, not when Kerry volunteered to serve on them).

In short, I'm getting a bit tired of hearing about Kerry the Hero and Bush the Shirker. I am their contemporary. I understand what they did. None of us, not me, not Bush, and not Kerry, were really exposed to the carnage of ground combat in Vietnam. None of us went through battles such as those described in "We were Soldiers Once and Young." Those guys were the heroes, not me, not Bush, and certainly not Kerry, who volunteered for the swift boats when they were not in harm's way and took the three strikes and you're out route as soon as he could.