Free Republic

Tennessee Army National Guard Spc. Michael Parson speaks with authority about two things that matter most to National Guard troops involved in the war against terrorism these days: serving in the Army's total force and the extent to which some civilian employers are supporting the troops. Parson has good reports on both accounts. He belongs to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 115th Field Artillery, that today completed a month of condensed military police training at this central Missouri post. Next stop is Hawaii, where Parson and about 100 other soldiers in that company will pull garrison duty for the next year....

Though reserve component forces are going through a stressful time, the Defense Department is working hard to improve the situation, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told Guard and Reserve leaders here today. Wolfowitz, speaking at the Adjutants General Association of the United States mid-winter meeting, told the group the nation is asking National Guard and Reserve members to serve for longer periods and in larger numbers and "with greater uncertainty than I think any of us ever envisioned." Wolfowitz cited several burdens being placed on both reserve components, noting that National Guard and Reserve soldiers make up 40 percent of...

It is different when a National Guard unit deploys. The "total force" includes active duty and reserve component service members. And while the missions that like units go on are identical, there are differences in the way active duty and reserve components deploy. These differences were apparent at the Feb. 12 deployment ceremony for the 30th Heavy Separate Brigade. The unit is the first National Guard combat brigade to deploy since the end of World War II. The brigade will deploy in the next few weeks, and includes units from New York, Minnesota, Maryland, California, West Virginia and Illinois. The...