Letter to the editor: Our National Guard should be protecting us at home

One detail was probably missed by most people when they heard about the Jan. 28 attack on U.S. forces in Jordan. This was that most of the soldiers injured were members of National Guard units. Over the past 20 years of endless military operations in the Middle East, National Guardsmen made up 45% of the deployed troops and accounted for 18% of casualties. Since 9/11, the Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers and airmen have completed more than 43,000 individual deployments in countries throughout the world.

While this may mean very little to most, when the National Guard is deployed overseas, they are not available to assist at home. The slow response during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was primarily because the Louisiana National Guard was deployed overseas.

It is time that Pennsylvania reasserted its control over the Pennsylvania National Guard by passing “Defend the Guard” legislation. This legislation would require Congress to perform its constitutional responsibility to declare war before any Pennsylvania National Guard troops are deployed for combat overseas. This would show our Guard that our elected leaders here in Pennsylvania value them and their service rather than sending the message that they bow to the politicians in D.C.

Nickolas Ciesielski

Lower Burrell