Free Republic

A distraught mother came to News 4 after her 20-year-old daughter was fired after missing work for training duties with the Missouri National Guard. Morgan Johnson was sworn in to the Missouri National Guard on April 18 and told her boss at the Crystal City Subway she would miss work to train with her unit that next weekend. She was fired the following Monday even though a federal law protects her from losing her job over military service.

One 2013 Boston Marathon runner, University of Mobile Cross Country Coach Ali Stevenson, told NBC affiliate Local 15 that he has “never seen that level of security before.” A veteran of other major marathons, he added “Evidently, I don’t believe they were just having a training exercise … I think they must have had some sort of threat or suspicion called in.” “We reviewed our procedures and coordinated, but did not have an exercise that day”, says LTC Meriwether. “We coordinate and practice with the FBI and other agencies all the time” she said. Asked if her CST unit had...

The commander of the Rhode Island Army National Guard 13th Civil Support Team (CST) claims that her two WMD detection experts assigned duty at the Boston Marathon along with WMD troops from the Massachusetts Army National Guard 1st CST were “several blocks” from the finish line at the time of the twin terror bombings, but when those units immediately tried to move into position to respond, troops from both states were forced to stay back after law enforcement denied them access to the scene at the finish line.

At 5:20 a.m. on Monday, four hours before the Boston Marathon's elite runners took off, a group of 15 active-duty soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guard gathered at the starting line in Hopkinton. Each soldier was in full combat uniform and carried a "ruck," a military backpack weighing about 40 pounds. The rucks were filled with Camelbacks of water, extra uniforms, Gatorade, changes of socks—and first-aid and trauma kits. It was all just supposed to be symbolic. "Forced marches" or "humps" are a regular part of military training, brisk walking over tough terrain while carrying gear that could help a...

The death certificate read “single,” even though the fallen soldier was married. When it came time to inform the next of kin, casualty officers did not go to the widow’s door in North Carolina, nor did she receive the flag that draped the casket of her beloved, a 29-year-old National Guard member killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. Because federal law defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman, the military did not recognize the relationship of Army Sgt. Donna R. Johnson and Tracy Dice Johnson at all, rendering Johnson ineligible for the most basic survivor...

What is the actual history and purpose of the Second Amendment? A growing number of gun control advocates insist that this key constitutional provision was not intended to protect an individual right of firearms ownership, but instead was intended to provide for the regulation of a government-controlled militia. People who espouse that view generally insist that the role of the militia is now carried out by the National Guard, or even by the police -- and that the "right of the people" referred to in the Second Amendment has nothing to do with private firearms ownership.

Home from Afghanistan for just five months, 25-year-old Indiana National Guardsman Willie Cook was gunned down while shielding his two-year-old son. CBS 2′s Dana Kozlov reports its another case of mistaken identity, with no one in custody. Two-year-old Antoine Cook uses a toy cell phone to talk to his father. It’s all he has. “And to know that your 2 year old has to pretend to talk to his dad,” said Laquana Norwood. On February 2, Cook, was shot and killed while in a car near his grandmother’s East Chicago house where he was taking Antoine for a visit. The...

former CBS broadcaster Dan Rather (Now with AXS-TV) was understandably asked a question about ‘Rathergate’ – the story on George W. Bush’s service in the Air National Guard that used forged documents in the report. Rather responded brusquely: Number 1 – the facts of case are not in dispute. Number 2 – no one had ever established that the documents were forged

Just months after returning from a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan, U.S. Army National Guard veteran Tyler Barge was embroiled in another fight defending the American flag. This time, it involves the management of his Salem, Va. apartment complex. A small American flag, displayed in a cup of dirt on his patio wall, is a violation of the building’s code, he was told. Barge received a notice informing him he must remove the flag, along with a few other items – a broom and table, for instance – deemed inappropriate.

A nationwide flu outbreak could be a sufficient excuse to call up the National Guard Rapid Response Parallel support module to take control of a “national emergency” with possible declaration of martial law protocols. According to a North Carolina police lieutenant, in some three to six months declarations of martial law could be made throughout the nation. In a two part radio broadcast aired by a Virginia pastor, Lieutenant McCoy has attracted the attention of more than 20,000 listeners. “We’re in huge trouble,” he says as he calls up memories of white, granite gravestones all over Europe; gravestones marking the...

Hurricane-relief Guardsmen tossed out of armory - for Victoria's Secret show The Victoria’s Secret show must go on — even if it means kicking out hardworking men and women in uniform. Dozens of National Guardsmen, and Army and Air Force personnel who have been sleeping at Manhattan’s Lexington Armory in between hurricane-relief shifts are being booted — to make room for Victoria’s Secret models in anticipation of Wednesday’s runway show. About 300 uniformed personnel have been bunking down at the armory at various times since Sandy hit. But their numbers will be reduced to 60 by Wednesday for the event,...

Bloomberg kept National Guard out of NYC because they had guns? POSTED AT 4:31 PM ON NOVEMBER 4, 2012 BY JAZZ SHAW New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been on the receiving end of a firestorm of criticism lately, particularly for his ham handed handling of the Hurricane Sandy recovery. But this story is almost too stupid to check. Mayor Bloomberg has snubbed Borough President Markowitz’s impassioned plea to bring the National Guard to Hurricane Sandy-scarred Brooklyn — arguing that approving the Beep’s request would be a waste of federal manpower and turn the borough into a police state....

Mayor Bloomberg has snubbed Borough President Markowitz’s impassioned plea to bring the National Guard to Hurricane Sandy-scarred Brooklyn — arguing that approving the Beep’s request would be a waste of federal manpower and turn the borough into a police state. “We don’t need it,” Mayor Bloomberg said on Wednesday during a press update on the city’s ongoing Hurricane Sandy cleanup. “The NYPD is the only people we want on the street with guns.” Markowitz demanded the National Guard’s help just an hour before Bloomberg’s press conference, claiming that the NYPD and FDNY are “brave — but overwhelmed” by all the...

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- University of Northern Iowa leaders said they stand behind a National Guard specialist who has filed a grievance against a professor who he said refused to allow him to make up a test he missed while attending an out-of-state Guard drill. Freshman James Roethler said he missed the test because the Iowa Army National Guard required him to attend a four-day weapons certification drill in Wisconsin beginning Oct. 19. The soldiers’ bus left for Wisconsin Oct. 18. If he had failed to attend the training he would have been considered absent without leave, or AWOL, and...

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A prosecutor says a Virginia National Guard member was “highly intoxicated,” more than double the legal limit for drivers, when police arrested him for running near two Martinsburg schools in desert camouflage and toting an AR-15 training rifle. William Everett Alemar’s blood-alcohol content was more than 0.20 percent, Berkeley County Prosecutor Pamela Games-Neely said Thursday. West Virginia’s threshold for drivers is 0.08 percent. Games-Neely also said the terrorism charge filed against Alemar is the right one for the circumstances.

A West Virginia man arrested while running in desert camouflage with an AR-15 training rifle is a member of the Virginia National Guard who served a tour of duty in Iraq, and his father says he's not a terrorist. Stephen Alemar tells The Hagerstown Herald-Mail that he believes his 23-year-old son, William Alemar, was just trying to stay in shape for his next military assignment when he was arrested near two Martinsburg schools on Monday. William Alemar was charged with committing a terrorist act after police found him carrying two knives and ammunition clips, and wearing a bulletproof vest. Alemar...

Whether to provide support for natural disasters or swiftly respond to asymmetrical attacks on American soil, the U.S. National Guard often operates under the governors’ discretion using Title 32 funding. Title 32 funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Defense. Two speakers recently sat down at the Heritage Foundation to explain how sequestration will “gut” the National Guard’s ability to operate in these capacities. Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum (USA, Ret.), the former deputy commander of the United States Northern Command, suggested that rather than cutting off the head of the military with across the board budget cuts, the...

7/25/2012 By David Bellow Over 35 vehicles belonging to U.S. Soldiers were stolen or vandalized this past week at the Army National Guard Armory on Westheimer Parkway in Houston, TX I encourage the local media to bring attention to this targeting of Texas Soldiers so that the thugs who are doing this will be brought to justice. Over the last 2 weeks, myself and hundreds of Houston area Texas Army National Guard Soldiers drove nearly 1000 miles one way in a military vehicle convoy to get to Dona Ana Camp in New Mexico (just north of El Paso, TX)....

Bogalusa gas station at center of protest. Witness account of Guardsman's treatment prompts picket; Owner claims misunderstanding BOGALUSA, La. - Dozens of protesters gathered outside a gas station near Bogalusa on Thursday to voice their outrage over what they consider an insult to Americans in uniform. Exactly what happened to spark the furor isn't clear. The protest followed a fast-moving campaign on social media that spread the word about a member of the National Guard who was reportedly refused service at the station. The Washington Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed that some sort of dispute did take place, but the office...

Timothy Michael Poe won over the crowd and the judges of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” even before he began to sing, with his moving story of blocking a grenade blast in 2009 to save his buddies in Afghanistan – an act of heroism he said broke his back and left him with a brain injury.

I was talking with a young man who graduated high school last week and has joined the National Guard in Indiana. He said he is being sent to Egypt eventually. I thought I had misunderstood him and said "Egypt?" He said, "Yes, and my Dad and I thought/wondered the same thing." Why would our NG be going to Egypt? Is it part of a NATO deployment? I haven't heard anything about this on the news, etc. I have read many suspect Obama had a role in overthrowing Murabek, and is in bed with the Muslim Brotherhood. Anybody has insight into...

I was talking with a young man who graduated high school last week and has joined the National Guard in Indiana. He said he is being sent to Egypt eventually. I thought I had misunderstood him and said "Egypt?" He said, "Yes, and my Dad and I thought/wondered the same thing." Why would our NG be going to Egypt? Is it part of a NATO deployment? I haven't heard anything about this on the news, etc. I have read many suspect Obama had a role in overthrowing Murabek, and is in bed with the Muslim Brotherhood. Anybody has insight into...

The Pentagon began flying military helicopters and surveillance planes over the U.S. border with Mexico last month as part of an effort to withdraw (900),all but 300 of the National Guard ground troops who have helped patrol the rugged border since mid-2010. The 300 (remaining) troops will fly aircraft, or analyze intelligence about smuggling routes in command centers miles from the border ... In the first year, the National Guard troops helped apprehend 17,887 illegal immigrants and seize 56,342 pounds of marijuana... The National Guard leadership became concerned that the mission, if extended, could hurt recruitment... State Department officials, further...

Governor Deval Patrick placed the head of the Massachusetts National Guard on leave Thursday night after learning that he is under investigation in the alleged rape of a subordinate on a Florida beach 28 years ago while the two were on maneuvers with a military police unit. The explosive charges against Adjutant General Joseph C. Carter were originally investigated several months after the alleged 1984 assault. The investigating officer recommended that the alleged victim, Susan Pelletier, take the matter to police, but Pelletier told the Globe she was afraid to press charges. Pelletier’s allegations resurfaced late last year as Carter...

Obama fearing a revolution against him by the states, has moved swiftly by nationalizing nearly all National Guard Forces in multiple states; Georgia, Alabama, Kansas, Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisiana, South Carolina – to name a few. The Governors of the Great States of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia still have under their Command-and-Control the State Defense Forces to go against U.S. Federal forces should the need arise. Also important to note: There are NO U.S. laws prohibiting National Guard troops from also joining their State’s Defense Forces. This dilemma occurred during the Civil War with many...

PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES In January 2012 the Department published a paper -- “Defense Budget Priorities and Choices” – identifying the major budgetary changes made in response to the new defense strategy. Changes in the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget support U.S. defense strategy and are organized around four major themes: 1. Making more disciplined use of defense dollars. 2. Applying strategic guidance to force structure and investment. 3. Ensuring the quality of the all-volunteer force. 4. Fully supporting deployed warfighters. Disciplined Use of Defense Dollars The FY 2013 budget continues the reform agenda advanced in the Department’s previous three budgets. The FY...

Dozens of Wisconsin National Guard soldiers are still waiting for thousands of dollars owed to them for their service in Iraq. The delay is due to bureaucratic glitches and clerical errors, the Oshkosh Northwestern reported ( http://oshko.sh/xfjOx5). The soldiers, members of the Wisconsin National Guard 1157th Transportation Co., spent much of 2006 and 2007 in Iraq. When they came home they were due extra pay or days of leave for serving multiple deployments, but some never received what was owed to them because of errors in the way the Army computed and paid the benefits. "It's frustrating," said Richard Vander...

(CNN) -- A Louisiana lawmaker wants the National Guard to patrol the streets of New Orleans after a toddler who was four days shy of her second birthday was shot and killed in a drive-by. "She was out here as a innocent bystander. She's dead now," said Rufus Ruck, the child's cousin. Keira Holmes Gordon was gunned down in a double shooting at the B. W. Cooper Housing development on Sunday. She was one of two people hit when gunmen from two separate cars opened fire on a man who was standing nearby. According to police, the man ran into...

Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on Obama Administration’s Decision to Slash Number of National Guard troops at U.S.-Mexico Border Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement regarding the Obama Administration's decision to cut the number of National Guard troops at the U.S.-Mexico border: "President Obama's decision to slash the number of National Guard troops patrolling and securing our southern border is proof that this administration has no intention to truly secure the border or listen to the American citizens, communities and law enforcement who care about border security and public safety. "After spending billions on failed federal stimulus and...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — A snafu marred the critical moment of silence Wednesday at the Pearl Harbor ceremony observing the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack.... ...But on Wednesday, emcee Leslie Wilcox was still speaking at 7:55 a.m., even as the Hawaii Air National Guard's F-22's roared overhead on schedule 42 seconds later.

HIDALGO, TEX. — President Obama’s decision last year to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border may have been smart politics, but a growing number of skeptics say the deployment is an expensive and inefficient mission that has made little difference in homeland security. Critics of the deployment include budget hawks, who say it is a waste of money, and residents here along the border, who say they are tired of seeing armed troops in their back yard. State Department officials worry that the domestic use of U.S. troops increases the perception that the border is militarized, while...

Who doesn’t love Predator? Two juiced up governors-to-be on screen simultaneously throwing lead at a common enemy and taking out bad guys. Its a typical late-80s action film, but the reason that it always stuck in my mind was Governor Ventura’s handheld M134 minigun. Nevermind that (if real) the weapon would only have enough ammunition for less than 5 seconds of firing, I thought it was a great concept. Apparently an Iowa National Guard unit (1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa National Guard) thought so too, and that’s why they built one. Well,...

When Eduardo Sancion chose the location for his shooting spree in Carson City, Nevada Tuesday he picked a a street home to at least seven military installations and recruitment centers. Just over a mile away on South Carson Street is the Army National Guard, another mile north is the Nevada Army national Guard depot. Scattered throughout the stripmalls and businesses on Carson St. are recruiters for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Sancion pulled up to to the IHOP known to be popular among servicemembers in a blue minivan with a "Support Our Troops" bumper sticker on the back,...

click article link to read storyA member of an anti-gay church that pickets at military funerals said via Twitter that church members will come to Carson City in the wake of the shooting deaths of three Nevada National Guard soldiershttp://www.rgj.com/article/20110907/NEWS/110907005/Anti-gay-church-hints-will-protest-funerals-slain-guardsmen-Carson-IHOP-shooting?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

Heavy machinery might become a common sight in some Harlingen neighborhoods. The Texas National Guard is demolishing some 42 homes and buildings as part of “Operation Crackdown.” Authorities are demolishing the condemned properties that have become “crack houses” or havens for criminal activity. Harlingen city officials have compiled a list of 42 homes and buildings for demolishing. The structures are being demolished at no cost to the owners.

Two New Mexico national guardsmen have died, and three others are injured, following a crash on Interstate 40 near Gallup. Police say the crash happened just after 8 a.m. Saturday after the guardsmen left a nearby Denny’s restaurant in a four-door pickup truck. Investigators believe the truck was headed westbound on I-40 when the driver crossed the median, over-corrected and flipped the vehicle about four times. The truck clipped a light post, ejecting two people. Investigators say excessive speed appears to been a factor in the crash. They are still determining if alcohol or fatigue played a role. Police say...

Federal lawsuit in Jackson, MS accuses Madison County Sheriff's office of discriminating against National Guard soldiers. Secret tape of conversation between deputy and Chief Deputy shows CD admitting he refused to hire his friend because of his military status. Post includes copies of federal lawsuit, audio recording, and transcript of recording.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Thomas Walsh, aide to Mayor Domenic Sarno told 22News that the City of Springfield has requested that the National Guard come to the city, where there has been damage from a tornado. Walsh said that all motorists are advised to stay at home and not venture out onto the roads, in order to give emergency workers time to get to where they need to go. Walsh said that the National Guard is on its way. The State Police Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) has been called in to help search damaged buildings for the possibility that...

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 28, 2011) — With the twisted husk of St. John’s Hospital reminding them of the importance of their mission, a group of Missouri National Guardsmen erected a mobile hospital unit in a fraction of the time they were given. Because they were conducting annual training nearby, soldiers of the 117th Engineer Team (Asphalt), of Monett, were on duty conducting search and rescue missions within hours of the tornado hitting Joplin, said Sgt 1st Class Steve White. “We’re here to help relieve the pain,” White said. “We bring a lot of heavy equipment and can get to things...

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 27, 2011) — Gov. Jay Nixon has ordered the Missouri National Guard to supervise the cleanup and debris removal process in Joplin. Citizen-soldiers and airmen were activated immediately following the May 22 tornado and are ready for their new mission, said Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general of Missouri. “We are ready for the new mission Gov. Nixon has given us and are prepared to help our friends and family in Joplin in every way we can,” Danner said.

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 27, 2011) — A year ago, the 203rd Engineer Battalion of the Missouri Army National Guard woke up every day in a war zone. That changed Sunday when one of the season’s deadliest tornados blew through this southwest Missouri community of 46,000, leaving behind a path of devastation worse than most of these combat engineers experienced in Afghanistan. Charged with clearing improvised explosive devices from hundreds of kilometers of bumpy, dusty — and dangerous — roads in the war-torn country’s restive east, members of the 203rd served their nation doing one of the hardest jobs in theater....

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 26, 2011) — Some people would call him a hero, but to hear Spc. Jeffrey Price tell it, he was just doing his job. Price, a heavy equipment operator for the Carthage-based 294th Engineer Company of the Missouri Army National Guard, helped rescue dozens of people following Sunday’s deadly storm that left hundreds dead, hundreds more injured and much of this city of about 50,000 people in ruins. Price, 22, was on duty at his job in the automotive department at a local Wal-Mart SuperCenter Sunday as the deadly tornado that flattened area homes, destroyed businesses and...

CARTHAGE, Mo. (May 24, 2011) – The Missouri National Guard continues to work in support of tornado relief operations in Joplin on order from Gov. Jay Nixon. With continued rainfall, the Missouri National Guard task force continues operations in Joplin with approximately 220 Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen spread over the affected areas, said task force operations officer Maj. Michael Seek, training and plans officer with the 35th Engineer Brigade. “At this point, our concern is the safety of the citizens of Joplin,” Seek said. “This is an important mission. Our goal is to help support the local first responders as they...

JOPLIN, Mo. (May 23, 2011) — A Sunday night tornado striking Joplin has led to the mobilization of the Missouri National Guard. St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, two fire stations, and Joplin High School were among the public buildings damaged or destroyed by the tornado, along with commercial business areas. Casualty totals are still unknown but preliminary reports include 89 dead. “As soon as we heard the news of the tornados, the Missouri National Guard began mobilization activities,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, in a prepared statement. “The 35th Engineer...

CARTHAGE, Mo. (May 23, 2011) – Immediately after being activated by Gov. Jay Nixon, the Missouri National Guard began tornado relief operations in Joplin. Approximately 140 Guardsmen are assisting in search and rescue missions in support of local authorities, and are expected to conduct a number of missions in the upcoming days including emergency route clearance, communications support, door-to-door safety visits and security. Among those responding are the soldiers of the 117th Engineer Team, of Monett, and 294th Engineer Company, of Carthage and Anderson. Additionally, a Joint Task Force Communications Kit out of Jefferson City is in route to assist...

PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (May 23, 2011) — When a New Years’ Eve tornado struck Fort Leonard Wood, donations poured in to help numerous soldiers and families who lost their homes even though nobody was killed. Less than a day after a major tornado struck Joplin and killed at least 89 people, Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner Gene Newkirk, Pulaski County Sheriff J.B. King and Pulaski County Ambulance Director Gary Carmack announced that they’re working to send emergency supplies as well as trained personnel to provide emergency relief in Joplin.

PHOENIX | Before there was Scott Walker, Rick Scott, Nathan Dealor Nikki Haley, there was Arizona’s Jan Brewer — the original Republican protest governor, going toe-to-toe with the Obama administration over immigration, fighting the White House in the courtroom and becoming an early symbol of states’ frustration with the White House. Now five months into her first elected term, Arizona’s top politician is once again challenging President Obama. This time, she is asking him not only to keep the National Guard on the border past its scheduled departure in June, but to boost its numbers to provide more security. “I...

Stepping up the immigration enforcement bidding war, House Republicans last week asked President Obama to extend the deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border past June 30, when their mission is slated to end. Last year Congress passed a bill boosting the number of U.S. Border Patrol agents, but the 10 Republicans, all members of the Homeland Security Committee, said the new agents have not been fully hired and trained yet, so the National Guard troops should remain. “We request the National Guard remain on the Southwest border until the Department of Homeland Security can fully take...

The Issue:  Authorizing Veteran Status for National Guard and Reserve Members Entitled to Reserve Retirement Pay Immediate Action Required: Contact your Senators and Representative and ask them to support H.R.1025 and S.491. These bills would authorize National Guard and Reserve members entitled to Reserve retirement pay the honor of claiming "Veteran" status. On March 4, 2011, Sen. Mark Pryor introduced S.491, Honor America's Guard-Reserve Retirees Act of 2011. On March 10, 2011, Rep. Tim Walz introduced H.R.1025, co-sponsored by Rep's Tom Latham and Jon Runyan, to amend Title 38 to recognize service in the Reserve Components by honoring them with status...

Both sides are starting to speak out after Rolling Stone reported that the command of Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, who is in charge of training Afghan troops, tried to tap members of the military's "information operations" unit to use their skills on visiting senators and congressmen, among others. The goal, according to the article, was to convince officials to provide more troops and money. The accuser, Lt. Col. Michael Holmes, stood by his allegations in an interview with Fox News. He said the top brass ordered his unit to gather information in a way that was "over the line," and...