3,200 Wisconsin National Guard are being deployed to Iraq today.

[undeterred]

I heard its the largest deployment since WWII. And for what? I thought the occupation was being brought to an end. :shrug:



Lawmaker questions deployments to Iraq

As approximately 3,200 Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers ship off to Iraq Tuesday, a combination of Wisconsin veterans, citizens and legislators will be working to prevent unlawful deployments.

State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, is working to create new legislation that will require the governor to review federalization orders for the National Guard.

“If the governor determines they are not proper orders, he or she would take the appropriate legal action to contest the federalization of the state’s National Guard,” Black said.

According to Joy First, the Wisconsin state coordinator for the “Bring the Guard Home! It’s the Law” campaign, the governor is the commander in chief of the state’s National Guard. Anytime the guard is called up to be federalized, he would be required to examine the orders before signing any deployment demands.

First explained that because the United States did not discover any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the mission has expired and there is no legal basis for sending troops to Iraq.

“I’m just very sad to see these young men and women go off to a war I think is immoral and illegal just to kill and to be killed,” First said.

According to the public affairs officer of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, eight soldiers from the state of Wisconsin have died while deployed on Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Although Black does not expect his legislation to pass anytime soon, he will be present at the deployment ceremony to honor the members of the guard.

“I think everybody in Wisconsin … their hearts are with our National Guard as they go overseas,” he said. “In terms of the Iraq mission, like most Americans, I question the wisdom of that mission.”

http://www.dailycardinal.com/article/22147

Total American Deaths: 4245 :cry:
Wisconsin Deaths: 87

[Poiuyt]

1. Gee, if you watch the news, you would have thought that war was over

[undeterred]

2. The switch from analog to digital broadcasts

is more important than 3200 ANG troops being shipped off to Iraq.

[ensho]

3. this is awful! wish Obama would explain this!

rats

[madrchsod]

4. leaving just before spring floods

that may wash southern Wisconsin down the rock to the mississippi river. let`s hope this spring and summer wo`t be a repeat of last year.

illinois is shipping out 3600 ng`s to afganistan soon if not already. it`s also illinois`s largest call up since ww2

[valerief]

5. Damn, I wish these kids would JUST SAY NO! Is Xe booted out yet? nt

[ThomWV]

6. For what? Easy, they are going to replace others who are coming home.

[undeterred]

7. Why do they have to be replaced?

Just bring our troops home as their deployments end. There is no reason for the US to be occupying that country as a way of life.

John Kerry said he would end the "back door draft" which is the use of the National Guard to fight foreign wars. Will Obama?