Mail call

National Guard, Oct 1999

Cover Headline Offends Reader

I can't believe that still after 30 plus years of having a fully integrated military you have a cover story about equipping "Him." What about the rest of us? You could have easily pictured any two soldiers and said, "Them." Join the rest of the world in an integrated 21st Century.

Retired Lt. Col. Elizabeth Hulcoop Kingsman Maryland Army National Guard

The intended point was that modernizing the force is more than about procuring new hardware, it is about providing the men and women of the National Guard with the tools they need to do their job. The individual on the cover symbolically represents every citizen-soldier and airman male and female. The photo just happened to be of a male soldier

School Attendance Warrants Compensation

There is quite a bit of talk about "One Army," stating all the way at the top with the new Army Chief of Staff [Gen. Eric Shinseki]. However, there are still many differences in the trenches between the components and a perceived indifference toward personnel "quality of life" issues in general.

As one of a myriad examples, why are National Guard officers required to attend professionalofficer education without receiving compensation for their time or service? I am, of course, speaking about the Combined Armed Services Staff School and the Command and General Staff College. The non-resident CAS3 requires a commitment of eight weekends; CGSC requires one day a week for 31 weeks. Active and Reserve officers are compensated for their time, but not Guard officers. There is the option of taking the courses in lieu of scheduled drill. But most attendees are in critical positions and cannot miss training with their troops.

The traditional, "M-Day" Guard officer is being asked to commit more and more time to an allegedly "parttime" job. This means more time away from families and civilian careers. The absolute least that we can do is pay them for their time, especially considering that these are mandatory courses.

If we fail to recognize and compensate our "part-time" members (officer, NCO and enlisted) they will "vote with their feet and move on. Neither our national defense nor our states/communites can afford to have this happen.

Capt. Anthony M. Smith Pennsylvania Army National Guard

`Mr. National Guard' Says Press Unfair to Gov. Bush

After reading the article, "Three Presidential Hopefuls Boast Guard Service" (August, page 12), 1 had a follow-up thought. I am enclosing a copy of letter dated July 29, 1999, that I wrote to the editor of The Washington Post in response to their article on Gov. George Bush:

"I was in Congress with [George W Bush's] father in the '60s and I handled a lot of legislation for the Air and Army Guard. George W's father never asked me to help his son get into the Air Guard. I didn't know that George W was in the Guard until several years ago.

"I would think George W was not using very good judgment if he had not looked around for opportunities pertaining to his career in the military. Becoming a fighter pilot in the Air National Guard is certainly not the way to get away from danger or going to war. His unit had a military mission of intercepting unidentified aircraft and providing air deense for the United States as well as supporting air defense missions abroad."

The Washington Post "article reflects badly on the Guard and the Reserves. You insinuate that by joining the reserves you won't have to march off to war. For some reason, President Johnson didn't use the National Guard that much, but since then if you have served in the Guard or Reserves, you could be called to active duty for such conflicts as the Persian Gulf [War], Bosnia and Kosovo.

"The National Guard is older than the country itself. You have tarnished the Guard's history as well as a young man who served his country in the National Guard in time of war.

G.V "Sonny" Montgomery Former Member of Congress

Mail-In Pharmacy Sought For Retired Guardsmen

Although I am eternally grateful for the retirement pay and other benefits [I receive], some of the more desirable benefits are not available to those of us who live in areas away from military bases.

I live in Gate City, Va., which is over 300 miles from the nearest base, and therefore do not have access to military health facilities.

My wife and I are both on continuing medication, which is rather expensive at local drug stores. It would be nice if the Army could provide a mail-in pharmacy program that we could use to obtain our required medications.

There must be thousands who could benefit from such a program. I ask for the NGAUS and all concerned to press for legislation to provide a mail-in pharmacy for those of without access to a military pharmacy.

Retired Chief Warrant Officer Dewey M. Breeding Virginia Army National Guard

Clarification

The September NATIONAL GUARD magazine carried a Newsbreaks item (page 20) about Resorts Condominiums International offering special rates at selected resorts to military personnel. The article, however, did not offer a source for further information. Information on what's available can found on the Internet at www.RCI.com. For information on where to obtain the needed vouchers, e-mail Dan Yount at yountd@hoffman-cfsc.army.mil.