SwiftVets.com

[dfountain3928]

Since Kerry and crew are obviously going to try now (again) to attack Bush on only being in the NG, and since the DNC and Kerry have both seemed to imply that NG service was basicly a non service. It might be a good argueing point if someboby could find out how many of the 58000+ american KIA were activated from guard or reserve status and if there is even 1 hit Kerry with this mans non service.
And for that matter I wonder how many of our men and women are now serving HONORABLY ( by the way) in a combat zone are NG or reserve units, and I would really like to know what they really think when they hear this wannabee CinC refer to their service as less than service.
If the DNC and Kerry say that because Bush was only a gardsman his service was less importent then Kerrys they must beleive the same of all gardsmen and reservist, and I would hope that some of these gard and reserve serving today would voice their opinions about this.

[kurtsprincess]

My husband has been Active Duty National Guard for over 25 years and I would love nothing better than a debate about how honorable the Guard is.

HOWEVER, this organization is not about Bush or supporting Bush. It's about Kerry and his lies. His lies about his service, his lies about his fellow veterans, his lies about what his morales and values are.

You could go on military.com and post your question over there and perhaps get some feedback.
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KP

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

[kmudd]

Thousands of Nation Guardmen lost their life in Vietnam. It is a shame that the National Guard is being attacked. And these are the same people who said it was just great that Clinton lied and said he would go to the ROTC and when it was time to go he ran off to England.

[commo]

My NG unit was activated June 1st, and are awaiting deployment to the middle east at Dix (I'm not going ). Approximately 42% of the troops in or soon to be in Iraq will come from NG and Reserves.

[hanna]

It would be very good to collect as much of that type of info as possible, as well as info regarding Bush just so you know what you are talking about should you need it, however, this is not a comparison Busy/Kerry....it is about Kerry's character, as evidence during his time in Vietnam and after.

[NavyChief]

[concerned_voter]

According to news archives:

[AF366TFW]

concerned, your post is only PARTLY correct. The figures I have is:

Reservists KIA: 5,977

National Guard: 6,140 served; 101 died.
_________________
Aim High! The wife hates cleaning the floor!

[Fabius Cunctator]

To put things into perspective, the National Guard is the heir to the old colonial, later state militias, which made up a significant percentage of the force all throughout our history - from the Minutemen (which Kerry, as the junior senator from Mass. should presumably know), through the Civil War (both North and South), up through the World Wars. Many of the 12 million Americans under arms during WWII manned National Guard divisions. To put it in a personal perspective, I have a cousin, retired as a sergeant major, who served in a PA Guard unit and did three tours in Vietnam. It would never occur to me as a Marine officer over the past 30 years to disparage his or any other guardsman's service.

In truth, mobilization of the National Guard, along with deployment of our Army is a commitment of our national power and will to a conflict, as opposed to using Navy and Marine expeditionary forces. It has always been so during our history. The fact is, President Johnson was unwilling to make that commitment to fighting and winning the war and deploying every facet of our national power and will to gain the final victory. He was looking for guns AND butter - remember the "Great Society"? Mobilization of the guard and reserve would have meant drawing resources from his social programs, thereby endangering his reelection prospects (ironic that the consequence of his decision was a worsening of the political situation for him, ending with his renouncing of a second term). Failure to deploy the guard and reserve was a deliberate decision on the part of the President.

Nonetheless, anyone who enlisted, and enlists today, in the guard and reserve, understands, particularly in this age of Total Force, that he or she is subject to recall to active duty at the pleasure of the President (in accordance with the War Powers act) as well as with the support of Congress (in the absence of a declaration of war). It has always been that way, and I expect it will continue to be so. Anyone who thinks otherwise is deluded. And because it is so, I respect the service of any and all Guardsmen.

________________________________________________________
Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator
USMCR – 1974 to the present.

"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum; qui victoriam cupit, milites inbuat diligenter; qui secundos optat eventus, dimicet arte, non casu. Nemo provocare, nemo audet offendere quem intellegit superiorem esse, si pugnet." - F. Vegetii Renati Epitoma Rei Militaris, AD 380

[air_vet]