AP: Pentagon To Alert Guard Units for War Duty
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is preparing to alert eight National Guard units that they should be ready to go to Iraq or Afghanistan beginning late next summer, the Associated Press learned yesterday.
The military is reaching out to more Guard units in an effort to maintain needed troop levels, ease some of the strain on the active duty Army, and provide security for ports, convoys, and other installations.
According to defense officials, seven of the units would deploy to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the orders had not yet been signed and the announcement is not expected until the end of this week.
Two of the units will be full combat brigades heading to Iraq — between next summer and into 2009, to serve as part of the rotation with active duty troops. There are currently 20 combat brigades in Iraq. All together, the Guard announcement would involve about 20,000 soldiers.
