Mitch Landrieu: “According to this reporter: The head of the Army Reserve said yesterday that the 205,000-soldier force must guard…”

“According to this reporter: The head of the Army Reserve said yesterday that the 205,000-soldier force must guard against a potential crisis in its ability to retain troops, saying serious problems are being ``masked'' temporarily because reservists are barred from leaving the military while their units are mobilized in Iraq. He goes on to say: Lieutenant General Helmly told his subordinates that he was ``really tired of going to see our reserve soldiers [and finding] they're short such simple things as goggles. It's about damn time you listen to your lawyers less and your conscience more. They will probably get me in trouble. But I told them, I want this stuff fixed.'' Not only are these men and women being called up in unprecedented numbers, not only are they being prevented from leaving, which is masking a potential readiness crisis, but they are also not being provided with some of the basic tools, equipment, and body armor that they need to protect themselves; therefore, contributing to a state of unease. Not that these guardsmen and reservists are not patriotic, not that they would not walk across hot coals, and in many instances they do every day to protect us, but we should at least be able to take these modest steps to make sure we are strengthening them and honoring their service to us. The operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo are ongoing, with no end in sight.”