Cold War Veterans Blog

Success in Iraq: At What Cost? Almost Half of Soldiers Scheduled to Deploy to Iraq from National Guard

Success in Iraq: At What Cost? Almost Half of Soldiers Scheduled to Deploy to Iraq from National Guard

July 9, 2008 – Veterans for America (VFA) releases the first of its findings on the impact of the Iraq war on our National Guard troops and their families.

At a time when it is widely accepted that there has been recent success in the war in Iraq, a key question remains unanswered: at what cost has this success been achieved?

Veterans for America has worked with Guard members and their families across the country as they bravely cope with long and often repeated mobilizations. VFA is deeply concerned that:

· Between now and the end of President George W. Bush’s term in office, almost half of the Soldiers who are scheduled to deploy to Iraq will come from the National Guard.

· More than half of the Army National Guard combat units deploying to Iraq in this timeframe will be on their second tour.

· At least 35 states have deployed more National Guard to Iraq and Afghanistan than to any war since World War II.

· States mobilizing their Guard over the next few months are: Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.

· Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania (again), Tennessee, Texas (again), Vermont, and Wisconsin are also scheduled to deploy National Guard combat units beginning in spring 2009.

· The Department of Defense has found that members of the National Guard who had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are 25% more likely to have suffered a combat-related psychological wound than members of the active-duty Army who have been deployed.

“As far as we are concerned, this is a showstopper,” explains Bobby Muller, President of Veterans for America. “The incredible sacrifices we are demanding from our Guard members, their families, their employers, and their communities are unconscionable. If we must rely so heavily on our National Guard to maintain troop levels in Iraq, then the cost of success is too great.”

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