Where is the National Guard?

Today, we all extend our sympathies and prayers to those devastated by the wildfires in California. Millions of Americans are impacted by this natural disaster.

Neighbors should help neighbors in their time of need. As Governor of New Mexico, I ordered two fire crews (strike teams, with 5 engines and 21 crew members each) to California. As a candidate for President, I donated to the American Red Cross and I encourage you to do so as well, click here to do so.

But as someone who believes the war in Iraq is a complete disaster and that we need to get our troops out now (www.getourtroopsout.com), I look at the natural disaster in California and feel compelled to also ask President Bush and every candidate who thinks it is okay for our troops to remain in Iraq until 2013 or longer - where is our National Guard?

It is a sad irony that yesterday, the very day I sent fire crews to California, 300 more New Mexico National Guard members were sent to Iraq. Just when we need them most at home, more of our brave men and women, true public servants, are sent away to a war we cannot win.

Never before in our history has our National Guard, a group of dedicated men and women who serve our country and provide critical aid in the time of natural disasters been used, and re-used, for so long to fight a war tens of thousands of miles away.

In California, the Guard force is authorized to have over 21,000 members. Today, that number is just under 15,000. Why the decline? I believe it has nothing to do with a diminished commitment to service, but rather is a frustration with having that commitment abused, and families turned upside down, just so President Bush can continue to pretend his war can succeed.

George Bush, his Republican friends and the Democrats who continue to allow this war to continue have not only broken our military, they've broken our National Guard.

The news this morning had images of Americans fleeing to a huge sports arena for shelter during a natural disaster that struck a familiar chord. When Katrina struck and the floods hit two years ago, a good portion of the Louisiana National Guard was in Iraq. How many people died in the days it took to get proper personnel on the ground in New Orleans? Today, as the fires rage, California has National Guard men, women, and critical equipment thousands of miles away in Iraq.

They need to come home. We need them here.

This has gone on long enough. When a national disaster hits, our states depend on the National Guard. Right now, President Bush is robbing Peter to pay Paul to continue his disastrous adventure in Iraq, and when tragedy hits us here at home, Americans are stuck with the bill. This cannot continue.

Bush won't end this war. Congress must. And they must end it now. We shouldn't have to wait until January, and we certainly can't wait until 2013 - we need our troops out of harm's way and our National Guard members back home where they belong.

Join my call at www.getourtroopsout.com to push Congress to begin ending this war now. Not in January, not next spring, not next year - now.

The war in Iraq is a tragedy, and compounding it by leaving our citizens here at home defenseless is an even greater crime.

Comments

[TheOtherMaven]

During World War II, with the millions of men mass-mobilized and sent to fight overseas, there was only ONE (1) ONE US National Guard unit EVER sent overseas during the entire course of the war. (To be specific, it was the 116th Virginia Infantry, which was deployed as part of the 29th Division and participated in D-Day and the subsequent actions.)

We need to pull the plug - HARD AND FAST - on the whole idea of wasting National Guard units overseas in place of regular Armed Forces troops we don't have. (And we need to pull the plug even faster on the whole idea of fighting wars we can't possibly support!)

[JulieSA]

Not sure where y'all are getting our Guard info. From the National Guard website:

"In World War I, which the U.S. entered in 1917, the National Guard made up 40% of the U.S. combat divisions in France; in World War II, National Guard units were among the first to deploy overseas and the first to fight.

Following World War II, National Guard aviation units, some of them dating back to World War I, became the Air National Guard, the nation's newest Reserve component. The Guard stood on the frontiers of freedom during the Cold War, sending soldiers and airmen to fight in Korea and to reinforce NATO during the Berlin crisis of 1961-1962. During the Vietnam war, almost 23,000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called up for a year of active duty; some 8,700 were deployed to Vietnam. Over 75,000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called upon to help bring a swift end to Desert Storm in 1991."

[TheOtherMaven]

Got my information from the 116th Virginia website. Maybe they were just bragging up their own record, but still - !

[JulieSA]

More from the same site: "1944 - World War II - Europe
Eighteen National Guard infantry divisions fought in World War II, and they were exactly split between the Pacific and the European theaters."

[itmaybetoolate]

How about Dodd/Richardson? Or Richardson/Dodd?

I like it!

[jackbauer0396]

A vote for Hillary is a vote for 4 more years.

We as a nation need to make sure people like Dodd, Richardson and Biden are noticed. The attention span of this country should be able to handle more than 3 candidates from one party.

Richardson/Kucinich '08!!!!
and as for the Republicans... I can only pray for Paul/Anyone but Romney or Guiliani... or Huckabee... or Tancredo... or Thompson...

I can't wait to see how the GOP steals another one.

[Yukon Jack]

"... GOP steals another one"??

You still on that obsolete, never-valid crap?

The REAL stealing was Clinton getting thre Presidency with 43.01% of the popular vote in 1992 and with 49.24% in 1996.

If you remind me that the Presidency is decided by the Electoral College, - not the popular vote - I will remind you that it was so in 2000 and 2004.

[naschkatze]

I like it too. Great idea, but I hope your blog name doesn't portend anything.

[TankerRat]

Interesting and certainly worth considering with Gov. Bill at the head of the ticket.

Another fascinating devlopment seems to be that WHEN the DNC runs Hillary and gets blown out of the water next year I'm hearing Gov. Richardson may run for vacated GOP U.S. Senate seat and the even the Repub's are saying he'd win hands down.
Why don't we see if we can translate that to derailing the Queen and WINNING the WH in 08 with a far better candidate.
That candidate: Gov. Bill Richardson.

[Sundialsvc4]

Governor, you seem to overlook something that Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower did not: that when unimaginable amounts of money are to be made from war, by top-of-the-heap politicians who have the power to create and to sustain war, then very soon nothing else matters to them BUT war.

Even fundamental concerns like, well, "homeland security," take second-fiddle to something that HAS brought these politicians ... in their "other lives" as business executives ... hundreds of billions and even trillions of dollars, so-far.

This, precisely, is the problem that our country now faces, and unfortunately our Senators and Representatives (including yours, by the way) are all-too-glad to stuff their fingers in their ears now and to promise "salvation in November of 2008," which of course won't come.

Governor, call each one of your Senators and each one of your Representatives, make sure they know it's the Governor of their State calling, and bless them out. Give 'em HELL. Then call each one of your fellow Governors and tell them to do the same.

Even more(!) than the President, it is OUR Congress that isn't listening; and that, sad to say, is colluding.

[KRANKY]

Once more, Governor, you prove your dedication with action as well as words.
We know that there are natural disasters that are unavoidable. That they are compounded by the disastrous presidency that is exemplified by incompetence, thievery, and what many consider the first degree murders of our military and innocent civilians in a war and occupation for profit...
IS avoidable.

We have to stand up against these monster powermongers and their sycophants and enablers in Congress ( This includes the weak-kneed Democratic leadership ), stand UP for our nation, and shout "NO MORE".

We refuse this, NOW!
It is simply unacceptable.

I call on all TRUE Americans to stand toe-to-toe, and expel the domestic terrorists that infect OUR democracy.

[naschkatze]

Thank you, Governor Richardson, for making that point. I am totally disappointed in the so-called front runners of the Democratic Party yet very pleased that you and Senator Dodd are pointing out uncomfortable truths. It's time for the lead horses to falter and the guys at the back of the field to make their moves.

[WIDESTANCE]

i feel certain that there would be no shortage of volunteer firefighters amongst our men and women currently in iraq

at the very least, couldn't bush let the troops from california come home long enough to help save their state?

btw mr. richardson, you just got my vote

god bless you sir

[mmmlink]

The time is now Bill. Take it to the next debate with passion.

[Dap]

Not to worry Governor...

Bush and the boys are going privatise the National Guard, Blackwater, et al, are working on it as we speak. They're just caught in a transitional phase at present.

[kellygrrrl]

Governor, thank you for your support.
Oregon, New Mexico and Nevada managed to send their State resources.
We needed Federal Air Support, but Bush said he'd send them in as soon as it's safe. Does he not get how this whole fire thing works. After the wind dies and the smoke clears, it's a little late for the air support.

Thank you New Mexico for your help.
We appreciate it!

[hippynanainblingland]

So what's he waiting for? Oh, I get it. Send them to Iraq, where it is soooooo safe!!!!

[TazeMe65]

If you move troops out of Iraq, how do you plan to deal with Iran when we eventually have to face them down on their nuke program?

Since you don't have any position on Iran on your website, I must assume you aren't thinking that far ahead in this chess game. Oh, and by the way, the Europeans tried diplomacy with Iran all last summer and have nothing to show for it.

[lip11]

Tazeme: so you're buying this crap about Iran? I bet you also believed Bush/Cheney's lies about Iraq? Just think a little for yourself: If Iran ever attacked any country, they would be annihilated. They might be uncooperative, but they ain't stupid.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Taze,

And who is it that Iran is a threat to? They haven't even developed a nuke...much less one that'll reach the US.

Israel already has a nuke arsenal...so they can protect themselves.

[Lazslo]

And Iran would do what with a nuke?

[SouthJerseySteve]

So what you are saying then is "F**K California! We need our men and women fighting an illegal war in Iraq instead"!

[TazeMe65]

Already the Norks are moving nuclear tech around (Syria) and we're playing Whack-a-mole with them, so the threat is real.

lip: As we witnessed last summer in Israel, Iranian proxies, like Hezbollah, are a threat.

concerned: Non-state actors that perpetrate on behalf of an ideology are a threat.

And SJS: Iraq is not an illegal war. Saddam didn't abide by the gulf war cease-fire stipulations. I know all of the "Saddam was contained" people think everything was fine and dandy before we went in. What do you have to say about the suffering of the Iraqi people under the corrupt "Oil for Food" program?

[Bigden47]

Why is the Bush Admin. so obsessed with Iran? Why aren't these drum beats heard from other nations? Who elected Bush, et al, the worlds playground monitor? I believe we've been down this road before. I sure hope we learned a lesson or two about how the world works. Our (USA) values and viewes are not the only values and views in this world. This administration is interested only in power and money. With 14-15 months remaining in this nightmare, I believe they want to go out in a blaze which might (will) have lasting affects nationally and globally for many, many years to come.

[TazeMe65]

Because WE are the target. We and Israel. That's exactly why all of our so-called allies are sitting this fight out--because they're not the immediate target. But keep in mind that Muslim fundamentalists envision a return of a world caliphate...

Europe is a lost cause--they're going to be taken over by sheer demographics within a couple of generations or so.

Although, if we eventually do lose this fight, I bet the future Islamic smackdown will come from China. They're not nearly as "tolerant" as we are.

[flyingcabeza]

Why does everyone keep calling it the "war in Iraq?" It is as plain as the nose on your face that we are over there because our President, Vice President, and Secretary of State are all oil business people. There's nothing more important to us than oil (Operation Iraq Liberation). We are stealing the resources of other countries because we need them and billions of dollars are flowing from the tax payers here to private contractors in Iraq and back into the campaign coffers of the politicians. It doesn't even matter that 70% of Americans don't want things this way. The super rich are getting richer and screw the rest of you and your hurricanes and fires. Thank God Blackwater doesn't fight fires. And if you don't believe that this is the attitude of Bush/Cheney, you'd better wise up. The only way to stop them is to stop spending your money. Why do you think that Bush, standing upon a pile of rubble at the Trade Centers, encouraged us to go shopping?

[tbone99]

Excellent observation - when I read how many firefighters there were I kept wondering how are they going to hold out.One more example of how diverting our energies to Iraq is hurting us at home.

[RickO]

If not for the gutless-ness of Congress, it seems like it would be easy for the majority party to simply say that not a single funding bill will even come to floor unless it is for extracting our tropps as fast as ships and planes can move them. Sure, there would be a mojor PR campaign to label the Dems as traitors and such, but so what? Incumbent Dems have a better chance of surviving that than they do the 2008 electorate if they keep this up.

[realpolitic]

A few more years of the Bush regime and we will all be living in sports stadiums. At game time, at least we will have entertainment!

[theyak]

At game time they will move us to the playing field and release the lions, or Blackwater, whichever one promises a more spectacularly bloody show for their amusement.

[SeaOats]

As always, Bill, you've hit the nail on the head.

Richardson '08