33rd ILARNG.

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago Tribune today:

"NATION & WORLD"

“2 Illinois soldiers killed in poppy region”

“KABUL, Afghanistan - - Two Illinois National Guard [ILARNG] soldiers were killed Sunday as they tried to help police defuse a roadside bomb in Southern Helmand province.”

“. . . officials confirmed that the two U.S. soldiers were from a police mentor team with the Illinois National Guard [ILARNG]. About 3,000 soldier have been sent throughout the country to train the Afghan police and troops in the Illinois Guard’s largest deployment since World War II.”

In those years prior to the Vietnam War, duty with the National Guard was felt to be honorable but easy duty for those that did not want to be subject to conscription. Find a soft and cushy billet in a Guard unit and you did not ever have to see active duty service. Safe and secure from the draft while doing “easy time”. It was even possible, prior to the mid-1960’s or so, TO EVEN FORE GO CONVENTIONAL AND ORDINARY BASIC TRAINING!! Training was done at the Guard unit level and considered to be acceptable!

Duty with a Guard unit now is anything but easy! Repeated deployments, combat assignments, etc. Guard units now perform at an adequate level of military expertise as required for the mission. Slackers no longer wanted or needed !

See and follow the articles and continuing reports from Kim Barker on the deployment of the ILARNG to Afghan.

From the front lines:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/afghanguard

Thanks to Kim.

coolbert.