Told ya so.

On Wednesday evening I wrote this:

Remobilize the National Guard to support rotations (from the latest Iraq Strategy Review)

Now, why wouldn't Bush mention that in his speech? You can bet that there will be more stop-loss activity and I suspect the Individual Ready Reserve is, once again, in jeopardy.

Less than 24 hours later, The Baltimore Sun reported this:

The Pentagon has abandoned its limit on the time a citizen-soldier can be required to serve on active duty, officials said today, a major change that reflects an Army stretched thin by longer-than-expected combat in Iraq. The day after President Bush announced his plan for a deeper U.S. military commitment in Iraq, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the change in reserve policy would have been made anyway because active-duty troops already were getting too little time between their combat tours. [...] Until now, the Pentagon's policy on the Guard or Reserve was that members' cumulative time on active duty for the Iraq or Afghan wars could not exceed 24 months. That cumulative limit is now lifted; the remaining limit is on the length of any single mobilization, which may not exceed 24 consecutive months, Pace said. In other words, a citizen-soldier could be mobilized for a 24-month stretch in Iraq or Afghanistan, then demobilized and allowed to return to civilian life, only to be mobilized a second time for as much as an additional 24 months. In practice, Pace said, the Pentagon intends to limit all future mobilizations to 12 months.

No kidding?!

That makes this little piece, out of the Army National Guard website FAQs look like the worst kind of bait and switch.

	Question : What are the service obligations in the National Guard? ‎(1)
		Army National Guard members are required to attend one drill weekend each month and one annual training period each year. Weekend drills are usually scheduled over one weekend - a Saturday and Sunday each month, but can occasionally include reporting for duty on Friday night. In addition, units have a two week annual training (AT) period every year which is usually scheduled during the summer. Initially, all personnel are required to attend initial entry training (IET), which can usually be scheduled to meet civilian occupation scheduling requirements. Duration and location of IET varies according to career specialty - a recruiter can provide specific information for each Military Occupational Specialty.

The truth be known, the US National Guard is evolved from the The Militia. The name may have changed but some things have not, namely the constitutional role of the militia. Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution issues power to Congress to:

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions

The US National Guard, although raised in and for each state also has a statutory role. The US Code, Title 32, Section 102 provides this:

In accordance with the traditional military policy of the United States, it is essential that the strength and organization of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard as an integral part of the first line defenses of the United States be maintained and assured at all times. Whenever Congress determines that more units and organizations are needed for the national security than are in the regular components of the ground and air forces, the Army National Guard of the United States and the Air National Guard of the United States, or such parts of them as are needed, together with such units of other reserve components as are necessary for a balanced force, shall be ordered to active Federal duty and retained as long as so needed.

Whenever Congress determines? Well, that's interesting. General Pace, his predecessors or successors, are not mentioned... at all. George Bush isn't mentioned. It says, Congress determines. The President is the Commander in Chief of "the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States". But Congress has to make the actual decision to call them into service.

So who is actually in the National Guard? Well, according to The US Code, Title 10, Section 311, every male US citizen, (or males thinking about becoming a US citizen), between the ages of 17 and 44, and every woman who actually joined the National Guard as a volunteer. Men who have not actually volunteered constitute a component of the Militia known as The Unorganized Militia.

Perhaps a little affirmative action is called for. You know... to get the attention of these people.

In any case... told ya so.