<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><BR>
Phil et. al.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for listing sources for your facts regarding the National Guard response to Hurricane Katrina.<BR>
<BR>
I agree that mistakes were made at all levels regarding preparation and response to this disaster.<BR>
<BR>
My point was simple. The National Guard troops that were in Iraq resulted in a less timely or aggressive response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster than would have resulted if they were not in Iraq.<BR>
<BR>
It appears there are some in a position to know who agree with this assessment. Consider the opinion of the chief of the National Guard Bureau:<BR>
<BR>
Officials: Guard Deployment Hurt Response<BR>
<BR>
by Robert Burns, Associated Press, Washington Post<BR>
September 9th, 2005<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" BACK="#ffffff" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=5 PTSIZE=18 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><B>Officials: Guard Deployment Hurt Response<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" BACK="#ffffff" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=12 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></B><BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" BACK="#ffffff" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">By ROBERT BURNS<BR>
The Associated Press<BR>
Friday, September 9, 2005; 6:14 PM<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" BACK="#ffffff" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=12 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><BR>
<BR>
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- The deployment of thousands of National Guard troops from Mississippi and Louisiana in Iraq when Hurricane Katrina struck hindered those states' initial storm response, military and civilian officials said Friday.<BR>
<BR>
Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said that "arguably" a day at most of response time was lost due to the absence of the Mississippi National Guard's 155th Infantry Brigade and Louisiana's 256th Infantry Brigade, each with thousands of troops in Iraq.<BR>
<BR>
"Had that brigade been at home and not in Iraq, their expertise and capabilities could have been brought to bear," said Blum.<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Vision2020 Post by Ted Moffett<BR>
<BR>
</FONT></HTML>