The 'say yes' force

The Bush administration and Congress have been locked in a verbal tug-of-war over whether the United States should go to war against Iraq. Will our allies support us? Are we certain Saddam Hussein has harbored al Qaeda terrorists? But lawmakers and administration officials might be overlooking an equally pressing question about launching an attack on Iraq: are our troops ready for another war?


Pentagon planners have reportedly drawn up plans calling for an unprecedented air barrage to kick off the campaign in Iraq. It would take out much of the Iraqi military infrastructure before sending ground troops in to topple Hussein. But those planners calling for an all-out air assault may also want to listen to some of the concerns recently raised by Air Force and Air National Guard leaders about the strains the war on terrorism and other missions are already placing on pilots and airmen.


“You’ve heard of ‘just say no.’ We have become the ‘always say yes force,” Air Guard Chief Lt. Gen. Daniel James recently told the Defense Writer’s Group, echoing a sentiment increasingly shared by senior Air Force and Air Guard officers that the service is shouldering the brunt of post-Cold War deployments.


James said he is concerned that the air reserve component might be nearing its breaking point. With 25,000 Air Guard members called up since Sept. 11, 2001, and with the Air Guard having supplied about 40 percent of the nation’s aircraft, from fighters to tankers, for the war on terrorism, that assessment should raise eyebrows at the Pentagon.


James says the Air Guard is not yet focused on, or planning for, an attack on Iraq, but he assumes the Guard will be a player. Currently, James is surveying Guardsmen to see if increased operations since last year’s terrorist attacks will cause members to quit the reserve component rather than stay on. “People are in the process right now of making up their minds about whether they will stay or get out,” he said.