lsmith@unssun.nevada.edu (LARRY SMITH) (11/15/90)
From: lsmith@unssun.nevada.edu (LARRY SMITH) Recently (last week) the Nevada A.N.G. was deployed to Saudi Arabia to replace the Alabama A.N.G. When they were deployed, not all of the unit (a T.R.G.) was sent, just 120 volunteers. Is it normal for a unit to be split like this, and when a guard unit is called up doesn't everyone go? Also the Nevada Army guard units are apparently going to be called up soon. They are an armored battalion, a heavy lift helo unit, and various signal and m.p. cos. Are other state guard units already deployed to the middle east? If so can someone post a list.
jabusch@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (John Jabusch) (11/17/90)
From: jabusch@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (John Jabusch) lsmith@unssun.nevada.edu (LARRY SMITH) writes: >From: lsmith@unssun.nevada.edu (LARRY SMITH) > Recently (last week) the Nevada A.N.G. was deployed to Saudi >Arabia to replace the Alabama A.N.G. When they were deployed, >not all of the unit (a T.R.G.) was sent, just 120 volunteers. >Is it normal for a unit to be split like this, and when a guard >unit is called up doesn't everyone go? Also the Nevada Army guard >units are apparently going to be called up soon. They are an armored >battalion, a heavy lift helo unit, and various signal and m.p. cos. Are other state >guard units already deployed to the middle east? If so can someone post >a list. I don't think you can classify anything as "normal" for deploying a guard unit. They frequently deploy for training missions with anywhere from 5% to 95% strength. Most units have non-deploying members whose jobs are classified under the "Mission Support" umbrella but whose missions are wrapped up in home base ops such as telecommunications. While it is desireable to deploy a large unit as a whole and the mission doc may define this as the goal; (my comma key isn't working today) members may volunteer for active duty when the unit isn't deployed. Unit commanders and gaining command authority make decisions on who to accept. When Desert Shield started up requests for volunteers were passed down-channel for various AFSCs on the Air Guard side. (AFSC: Air Force Specialty Code; similar to MOS) Also, many units were activated because they were prime units (refuelers, cargo transporation). Many of these activations were still not really federal activations but were rather requests for aircraft and volunteers. In many of these cases the guardsmen volunteered at very high levels for their units; some as high as 100% while others sent small groups of people. There are some sensitive issues regarding volunteer versus federalizing for the guardsman. These issues center on pay and benefits for the member and his/her family for the most part. It is better from these points of view to be activated as opposed to volunteering. I did have a list of the units that had activated as of late October but I can't find it. Suffice to say that on the ANG (Air) side over 25 units went in the first month; comprised mostly of volunteers. They came from all over the US. In the second and third month almost as many again had gone. I'm not up at all on the Army side other than some of the local units I'm familiar with. -- John W. Jabusch US Army Construction INTERNET: jabusch@cerl.cecer.army.mil Engineering Resesarch Lab MILNET: jabusch@osiris.arpa Champaign, IL