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American Morning
Pentagon Considering Sending 10,000 Additional National Guard, Reserve Troops to Iraq
Aired October 07, 2003 - 08:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The Pentagon is considering sending 10,000 additional National Guard and Reserve troops to Iraq. Reservists have been called upon in almost every U.S. war in the last 15 years, but they are playing a much bigger role in today's military.
Barbara Starr looks at these weekend warriors, their new role and the risks of turning them into full-time soldiers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last February, when Staff Sergeant Carlos Escobales and his Florida National Guard unit were sent to Iraq, he took what he thought would be a temporary leave from his postal clerk job. Now, when he finally comes home, his pregnant wife hopes he will leave the Guard permanently.
MARIA ESCOBALES, HUSBAND SERVES IN NATIONAL GUARD: That's his decision, but I wouldn't want him to stay in the National Guard at all. No.
STARR: Across the country, angry wives and lonely families are feeling the stress of long deployment by what used to be called weekend warriors. Of the more than 120,000 Army National Guard and Reservists now on duty, as many as half are in Iraq. Many never expected to be activated for up to 18 months.
NEIL ABERCROMBIE (D), HAWAII: The draft has returned to this country, except it's by default.
STARR: And the military is concerned the long deployments mean not only Guard and Reserves leaving, but fewer recruits signing up. In June, the Army National Guard fell short of its goal. Sergeant First Class Richard Thomas, a Maryland National Guard recruiter, acknowledges the challenge of recruiting in war time.
SGT. RICHARD THOMAS, U.S. ARMY: The brand new soldier is saying wait a minute. As soon as I take the oath, am I going to Iraq? That's the first thing they -- that's the first question they ask.
STARR: Congress is looking at one solution.
SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: We must expand our military forces, particularly our army, so that we can guarantee a predictable rotation of our troops into and out of Iraq and so that we can lessen our reliance on Reserve and National Guard troops.
STARR: Those troops in Iraq know they can't quit, at least until they come home, and that is a worry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: And, Soledad, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld now wants recommendations on how other active duty forces could ease the burden. He says it's a matter of utmost urgency -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon this morning.
Barbara, thanks for that report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Guard, Reserve Troops to Iraq>
Aired October 7, 2003 - 08:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The Pentagon is considering sending 10,000 additional National Guard and Reserve troops to Iraq. Reservists have been called upon in almost every U.S. war in the last 15 years, but they are playing a much bigger role in today's military.
Barbara Starr looks at these weekend warriors, their new role and the risks of turning them into full-time soldiers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last February, when Staff Sergeant Carlos Escobales and his Florida National Guard unit were sent to Iraq, he took what he thought would be a temporary leave from his postal clerk job. Now, when he finally comes home, his pregnant wife hopes he will leave the Guard permanently.
MARIA ESCOBALES, HUSBAND SERVES IN NATIONAL GUARD: That's his decision, but I wouldn't want him to stay in the National Guard at all. No.
STARR: Across the country, angry wives and lonely families are feeling the stress of long deployment by what used to be called weekend warriors. Of the more than 120,000 Army National Guard and Reservists now on duty, as many as half are in Iraq. Many never expected to be activated for up to 18 months.
NEIL ABERCROMBIE (D), HAWAII: The draft has returned to this country, except it's by default.
STARR: And the military is concerned the long deployments mean not only Guard and Reserves leaving, but fewer recruits signing up. In June, the Army National Guard fell short of its goal. Sergeant First Class Richard Thomas, a Maryland National Guard recruiter, acknowledges the challenge of recruiting in war time.
SGT. RICHARD THOMAS, U.S. ARMY: The brand new soldier is saying wait a minute. As soon as I take the oath, am I going to Iraq? That's the first thing they -- that's the first question they ask.
STARR: Congress is looking at one solution.
SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: We must expand our military forces, particularly our army, so that we can guarantee a predictable rotation of our troops into and out of Iraq and so that we can lessen our reliance on Reserve and National Guard troops.
STARR: Those troops in Iraq know they can't quit, at least until they come home, and that is a worry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: And, Soledad, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld now wants recommendations on how other active duty forces could ease the burden. He says it's a matter of utmost urgency -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon this morning.
Barbara, thanks for that report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Guard, Reserve Troops to Iraq>
