More troops huh?

From the Baltimore Sun via Today in Iraq:

By Tom Bowman
Sun National Staff
Originally published June 23, 2004

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Central Command has informally asked Army planners for up to five more brigades - about 25,000 troops - to augment the American force of 138,000 soldiers and Marines now in Iraq, military officers and Pentagon officials said.

[. . .]

Even with 22,000 troops from other nations, primarily Britain, joining the American force, the U.S.-led coalition does not control Iraq's borders, has taken substantial casualties along roads and highways, and avoids key cities such as Fallujah.

[. . .]

Within the past two weeks, two Army National Guard units - totaling about 7,000 troops - have been alerted for possible duty in Iraq in the next rotation. That is in addition to the four Guard units the Pentagon said in March would be sent to Iraq by the end of the year.

The two added units are the Mississippi Army National Guard's 155th Brigade Combat Team, which has 4,015 soldiers, and the 2,944 reservists from the 56th Brigade of the 36th Division from the Texas Army National Guard. Both units are expected to be mobilized in the next two months, officials said.

Full story here.

Do you notice who they're planning to call up? Mostly Guardsmen. Watch how all the Guard activations will hurt recruiting. Ask any member of the National Guard why they signed up and they'll tell you they did it to help their neighbors. The Guard is a state militia and their primary role is support of the governor. The guard assists in times of crisis and natural disaster. Ask any of them if they signed up to go half a world away to fight in a misguided, unjust war. Then ask them if they're going to reenlist.

Finally, ask the civilian idiots who run the Pentagon for President Flightsuit how they plan on keeping up troop strengths over the next two years, and five, and ten. I'd like to know the answer to that.