Cord Byrd: “Mr. President, the National Guard has been stretched to the breaking point. Not since the Korean war has the United…”

“Mr. President, the National Guard has been stretched to the breaking point. Not since the Korean war has the United States deployed so many members of the National Guard and the Reserves. Right now, more than 160,000 members of the National Guard and the Reserves are on active duty around the world, and more reservists are getting ready to ship out to Iraq. Last month, the President activated 10,000 more guardsmen for service in Iraq and put an additional 5,000 troops on alert. More callups are doubtlessly in the works. I have heard from many families anxious to know when their deployed loved ones might return home. I expect that all Senators have received similar letters and telephone calls. All of these families expressed a deep frustration with the open-ended, unfocused deployment of Guard and Reserve units. While the Nation's citizen soldiers are proud to serve their country overseas, they also have obligations at home. These part-time soldiers are full-time doctors, firemen, policemen, and a host of other roles which are critical to the security of American communities. We must do better to balance their commitments at home with their deployments overseas.”