Guard Faces Shortages in Dealing With Natural Disasters

Of course, the Guard isn't ready and I am beginning to believe it is by design.

This isn't an unfortunate by-product of the war in Iraq. It is intentional.

The message is consistent since before Katrina: "You are on your own."

The GOP has been trying to convince the American people for decades that the federal government is pretty worthless, when it comes to responding to their legitimate needs, in times of natural disaster or other such crisis, let alone anything else, other than committing war.

Well, they have pretty much convinced me.

I say, let's all move to a state, the politics of which we find we can, at least, tolerate, and become rabid States-Righters.

Screw revenue sharing. The red and blue states are on their own.

Let's see how that works.

Guard Faces Shortages in Dealing With Natural Disasters:

Washington - With much of their equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan, state National Guards face profound shortages in responding to natural disasters, particularly as they get ready for the hurricane season, which begins June 1.

The Guard has been shipping gear to hurricane-prone states in an effort to ease concerns, but a large disaster affecting several states would tax the Guard's ability to respond, according to National Guard officials and government reports. Some deficiencies aren't correctable. The Texas National Guard's helicopters, for example, are in Iraq and can't be replaced easily.

The potential impact of the equipment shortages became apparent over the weekend when a tornado devastated Greensburg, Kan. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said Monday that the state's National Guard couldn't respond as quickly as it should have because much of its equipment is overseas. About 300 Kansas National Guardsmen have been sent to Greensburg.