Posted on 05/13/2004 4:47:23 PM PDT by StarCMC
JEFFERSON CITY - An Army spokesman confirmed Wednesday that Missouri National Guard truck drivers were sometimes riding shotgun in the cabs of civilian trucks hauling supplies to U.S. forces in Iraq.
Gov. Bob Holden and the state adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Dennis Shull, have complained to the White House about the practice, saying it is a dangerous duty the soldiers have not been trained to perform.
**snip**
Holden wrote a letter of complaint Tuesday to President George W. Bush saying it was an inappropriate use of members of the 1221st Transportation Co. to provide labor for civilian contractors such as Kellogg, Brown and Root. He wrote the letter in response to complaints from the families of some soldiers.
Joe Boyd, an Army reservist who returned from Iraq in April, said Kellogg, Brown and Root was helping units like the 1221st by reducing workloads. Boyd is a captain in the 969th Transportation Detachment, an Army Reserve unit based in Belleville that sometimes worked with soldiers in the 1221st.
Boyd said that without civilian contractors like Kellogg, Brown and Root, soldiers would be deployed longer in Iraq.
"It's a touchy situation, I understand," Boyd said, "but I think the governor and adjutant general are missing the point.
"There are risks involved. At the same time, the civilian drivers take the added stress of driving away from the soldiers."
Boyd said that when he left Iraq in April, soldiers were providing security in civilian convoys by riding in gun trucks. He said soldiers were not riding in the cabs with civilian drivers, but that if they were, he didn't see a problem.
**snip**
Reporter Terry Ganey E-mail: tganey@post-dispatch.com Phone: 573-635-6178
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
OTB is outing himself yet again as an idiot!
Missouri National Guard ping...
Bob Holden is an idiot!
One of my bro's soldier's quoted in today's paper....
Once again, Bob "One-Term" Holden shows what a goofball he is. Members of his own party can't stand him, and that's something when Democrats won't back you.
And if I read the original breaking news article right, he was complaining that the soldiers were driving the civilians around, making it sound like they were caddies.
"dangerous duty the soldiers have not been trained to perform"
Missouri National Guard troops aren't trained to provide security?
And since I live in Missouri I get to vote against him. Can't wait. How can a state that prodeced Harry Truman produce idiots like Holden and Gephardt?
I don't know, but somehow we've come out alright. Jim Talent beat Jean Carnahan for the U.S. Senate, John Ashcroft is now our Attorney General, Gephardt is quitting, and Holden will cetainly lose one way or the other, maybe even to Claire McCaskill in the August primary.
I came across this quote by Holden and had to laugh:
"I'm not worried about the campaign. I'm worried about being a good governor for the state of Missouri," he said.
Kinda late, isn't it, when you're still worrying about being a good governor NEARING THE ELECTIONS!!!
How do our reporters find the one complainer in the bunch? That's some 'radar.'
The troops certainly know that our brave civilian allies are risking their lives to help them stabilize Iraq - over 100,000 civilians before the troop rotation and April's increased attacks - traveling RPG alley, building showers at bases, schools in villages - doctors, business leaders, electricians - and security guards...many - combat Veterans, there to help the younger troops.
Star, please tell your brother to pass on a grateful thanks to his sensible friend from me. Thank you!
(How do our reporters find the one complainer in the bunch?)
It pays to read the article first, lol.
Correction: two experienced 'politicians' - safe on the homefront - of course know where to find our press.
Holden is a Democrat. That he's a fool goes without saying...
That would give them a heart attack, to be sure.
OTB? One-term Bob? That's funny.
YEah - One Term Bob. No way he'll get 2!! Not over my dead body!
In VN ( I hate to keep bringing up VN, but my only experience), we used 4 march orders on a convoy. first march order had flammables, gasoline and jet fuel.
The thinking was that the VC would try to hit the first march order, and the more the convoy rolled on toward the ambush, the more guns were massed on Charlie.
In addition, the drivers and shotguns had the ability to be picked up by the remaining 3 march orders.
To put a truck out there in convoy or alone is inviting disaster if they don't have a shotgunner.
The MO gov is an idiot.
Ping.
Thanks for the ping!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.