Hearings

During the hearing held by Congressman Conyers, one Congresswoman made some comments about the state of our military to handle the Iraq "quagmire" (my term, not hers), particularly the state of Reserve and National Guard units now operating in Iraq.

Following is one account that is a microcosm of the entire military situation:

Currently operating in northeast Iraq is the 42nd Infantry Division, a New York Army National Guard Division. Among its varied units is the 42nd Infantry Division Band, a unit composed of about 20 musicians, whose prime duty is to provide music for ceremonial occasions. In an effort to bring the Band to strength, 17 members of the 199th Army Band, an autonomous New York Army National Guard unit, were detached to the 42nd Infantry Division and its Band. All went through training - not musical - that lasted 6 months before being dispatched to Iraq. As these words are being written, these 40-some-odd ill-trained musicians are performing combat and combat-support duties in Iraq. One of the members of the 199th Army Band detached to the 42nd Infantry Division Band is 59 years old; another is in his mid-50's; 2 others are in their early 50's, and other recently turned 40. (Sort of conjures up memories of Hitler's Wehrmacht in the closing days of World War II.) The need to post middle-age, untrained and/or ill-trained reservists to the kind of combat zone that Iraq is, indicates (at least to this writer) a terrible desperation on the part of the U.S. military establishment.

Bernie Bierman
(USA, Ret)