Since soldiers at the Army's Doņa Ana Range leveled their charges in a
Los Angeles Times article, however, additional Guard members had
reiterated the battalion's concerns.
"We're not being prepared for our mission," one sergeant said in a
telephone interview Thursday night.
"A lot of times we don't even know what our mission is."
The soldiers said the training was so poor that they feared there
would be needless casualties in Iraq.
Blum, who has served in the National Guard since 1968, was appointed
by President Bush last spring.
He oversees the half-million people who serve in the Army and Air
National Guards.
The soldiers, members of a Modesto-based battalion of the California
Army National Guard, said they were under lockdown at Doņa Ana and
were being treated more like prisoners than soldiers.
Although supportive of the war in Iraq and eager to serve, they said
that they had received very little training that was
"theater-specific" -- that would prepare them for the missions they
expected to face when they arrived overseas in January or February.
For example, they said, they have had virtually no instruction
regarding convoy protection or guarding against insurgents' roadside
bombs.
At the center of their allegations is the changing role of the
National Guard and reservists, who, as the war in Iraq continues, have
been moved rapidly to the front lines.
About 40% of the troops in Iraq are either National Guard troops or
reservists.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/latimests/20041204/ts_latimes/guardsiraqfearssparkinquiry&cid=2026&ncid=1480
Guard's Iraq Fears Spark Inquiry
By Scott Gold Times Staff Writer
HOUSTON --
The chief of the National Guard said Friday that an informal inquiry
at an Army base where soldiers had alleged they were being poorly
trained found instead that they were being prepared "to be successful
and survive their mission in Iraq."
_________________________________________________________
Outrageous.
Harry
.
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