Guard Battalion Called To Service

[iso1]

Ok, NOW I'm REALLY scared.

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Guard Battalion Called To Service


By Kristin Buehner
The Globe Gazette and AP
8-22-2


FORT DODGE (AP) - The Iowa Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery, will be ordered to federal active duty, the Department of Defense and the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C., have announced.

The battalion, headquartered in Fort Dodge, will deploy to locations within the United States for homeland security missions as part of Operation Noble Eagle II, Col. Robert King, public affairs officer for the Iowa National Guard, said Wednesday in a news release. The battalion includes units in Algona, Estherville, Spencer and Storm Lake.

Duty locations are not being announced.

Approximately 350 soldiers are affected, 71 of them from the Algona sub unit, King said.

The soldiers will report to their local armories Saturday to begin home station processing at their unit armories and Camp Dodge in preparation for their deployment and movement to their duty locations. This will include completing administrative functions and loading their equipment for movement.

The battalion will enter into federal active duty Sept. 3, King said. They must arrive at Fort Knox, Ky., their mobilization station, no later than Sept. 8. They will receive specialized training to further prepare them for their assignments before moving to their stateside duty locations.

The soldiers will provide indirect fire support, using artillery weapons accurate from a distance of 11,000 to 12,000 meters, King said.

The battalion's mobilization is critical to the accomplishment of the Department of Defense Homeland Defense Security Plan, said King. The Iowa soldiers will provide security at several locations. They will take their individual equipment, individual and crew-served weapons and all other organizational equipment. They will also use vehicles and other equipment already in place at their duty locations.

Now, I want to know why they need artillery for STATESIDE assignments? What, they're gonna stop a car full of terrorists by shelling them?

 

[KSFreeman]

Nah, I think the Iowa boys are replacing the Ohio boys at Newport depot (NBC stuff) or something similar.

The Indiana guard is mostly arty. They had them pull airport and sea port duty as well. They left most of their arty behind.

"Dammit boy, I told you twicet, not to bring that danged howitzer of yours up to Whiting harbor."
"But, Major, what about the rats?"

 

[Fred S]

>>Ok, NOW I'm REALLY scared.<<

OK ISO1, what do you mean by that? I've been in the Guard, the Active Army and the Reserves. All three components have good soldiers and units, mediochre ones and poor ones.

Where I work now has been guarded by an Ohio NG company. I had the opportunity to inspect these troops. This company has acted very professionally over the past 10 months. The soldiers are competent and capable and the leadership stong and mature. I think they deserve a bit of thanks for being taken out of college, jobs (some well paying) and away from their loved ones to stand a gate in the cold Michigan weather doing a very boring but important job.

Do you personally know the capabilities of this unit from Iowa? If not, treat them with respect.

 

[iso1]

KSFreeman,

I'm not worried about the troops. And I do have respect for those who serve(d).

I'm concerned about the motivation behind the decision to send National Guard units (and their "crew-served" weapons) to support "Homeland Security".

What could they possibly need crew-served weapons for?

 

[Fred S]

ISO1

Well, who is is going to provide "homeland security?" The FBI? ATF? It is the militarys job to protect this nation and that means at home too. Don't let a misinterpration of the Posse Comitatus Act cloud your judgement.

They take teir crew served weapons for a number of reasons. One if which is so they can continue to train with the equipment for their combat missions. This does not mean they guard the gate with a M109A5 Howitzer.

Gosh, some people here are paranoid. We are at war! We were attacked in our homeland and there are folks out there that are still trying to do so again. Life is not the same as before. So what are you doing to help out?

 

[KP95DAO]

Activations.

I don't know what those folks will be doing; but, an MRLS outfit has been activated here in Oklahoma and they are reporting to Ft. Sill for refresher training and then DEPLOYMENT. And it is not going to be here in this country.

Also, two helicopter maintinance companies have been activated and told that they will be gone at least a year and probably at least a year and a half.

IT is coming to a Bagdad bazaar near you.

 

[KSFreeman]

The Nasty Girls won't have their cannons in tow except maybe Lake Michigan harbor patrol--the rats are just huge.

 

[dinosaur]

I could see a new practice range along the southern border.

 

[KSFreeman]

dino, your southern border??? You guys having trouble with Maryland again?

 

[Coronach]

No, worse:

DELAWARE.

Mike

 

[orlando5]

Well, who is is going to provide "homeland security?" The FBI? ATF? It is the militarys job to protect this nation and that means at home too. Don't let a misinterpration of the Posse Comitatus Act cloud your judgement.

When the military start policing the state then the state will slip into a dictatorship. Our founding fathers with all their wisdoms fear the military and with good reasons.

Let be honest and think for a second. I assume this is to defend us from terrorists but do they need a battalion to take out two to three people? No they don’t. The job should be handle by our LEA and not the military. I don’t like what I see and pray that 25 years from now this great nation do not slip into a dictatorship.

 

[mons-meg]

The soldiers will provide indirect fire support, using artillery weapons accurate from a distance of 11,000 to 12,000 meters, King said.

Only between 11K to 12K meters? Surely even the Army can cut powder better than that...

 

[Blackhawk]

Served alongside NG units in Vietnam. They were great!

About this? You know nothing! Do try to act accordingly....

 

[mons-meg]

I was with a reserve unit that got activated and sent to Desert Shield/Storm. What was most irritating is that apparently the higher ups forgot we received the same training as the full time active units so as a general rule, reserve regiments and battalions got broken up into their respective companies, batteries, etc and used to augment active battalions. Standing in the chow line at Camp 15, I overheard another "active" Marine bitching about the "f&*#ing reservists." I turned around and said "Well...we're here, a$$#@^%". Hrmph. We out-shot the "regular" batteries in our new battalion and went home with all kinds of unit commendations. My apologies for the "color" of my story...I am just trying to illustrate some of the prejudices that some ignorant Marines will show towards other Marines...their own brothers.

Guard and Reserve units from all branches are typically underrated, and this is a shame. It is the citizen-soldier that makes up the backbone of America's wartime fighting forces. We were college students, local cops and deputies, farmers, auto mechanics, insurance agents. and even musicians. Our reward was getting to go home.

Rant off.

Jay

 

[Blackhawk]

It is the citizen-soldier that makes up the backbone of America's wartime fighting forces.

It's always been so, and that's what scares me about the "all volunteer" Army.

 

[dinosaur]

KSF

ZING!

Actually, it`s those pesky New Jerseyites we need to deal with.

 

[Fred S]

Orlando5:

Well we have been treating terrorism as a crime for 35 years and look where its got us.

The units being activated are being sent to guard US Army intsallations around the country. There are lots of them and it takes a hugh amount of manpower to secure all these bases, installations, stations etc...

Don't cite me crap about our founding fathers and blah blah blah when you don't have a clue about what you are talking about.

 

[Sodbuster]

mons-meg

I'll bet the active duty Marine you encountered knew well of places like Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Okinawa, Iwo Jima. Obviously, he wasn't there. Nor has he seen the pictures of the white crosses and Stars of David stuck in the sands of those far-off lands. How many of those were inscribed USMCR, the R designating a member of the reserve corps? Lots. Lots were members of the reserve. An honored death will never be good enough for some people.

 

[Correia]

Our local NG Arty guys have been called up. They are doing guard duty at the chemical weapons depot out in the west desert. No big deal. Just because they are an Arty unit doesn't mean they are going to be using the Arty. Mostly they are standing around with rifles.

And one great thing about the NG and the Reserves. They are normal guys. Just normal guys like the rest of us. I'm good friends with quite a few of our locals. Good folks, all around. So I'm not going to buy into any crack pot conspiracy theories involving them.