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Jed Boal Reporting A new national poll shows 70 percent of Americans, oppose sending more troops to Iraq. Utahns are more supportive. Following the President's speech last night, more than 50 percent support the troop surge.
President Bush plans to send more than 21-thousand additional U-S forces to Iraq. American and Iraqi troops will try to stabilize Baghdad and troubled Anbar province.
Commanders of Utah Army Reserves and Guard units expect the troop surge to be comprised of active military units, but reservists remain ready.
Colonel Neal Black, Chief of Staff, 96th Regional Readiness Command: "We are prepared to answer the call, and if that call comes, it is our responsibility to deploy and do whatever we can to help the country."
The citizen soldiers fully expect more deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of their ongoing rotation.
Major General Brian L. Tarbet, Adjutant General of Utah: "I don't think this is any surprise to our soldiers. It's not any surprise to their families. I don't think this came as a shock to any of us here."
It could also extend deployments for soldiers in Iraq right now.
Major General Tarbet: "Those are intel folks--voice intercept operators."
Colonel Black: "It may up our numbers later on. But there will be no immediate impact, I don't believe."
More than 100 Utah guardsmen and 270 Utah reserves serve in Iraq today. More than five-thousand since the war started, some of them twice. Now, they'll wait to find out when they're needed again.
