WASHINGTON — The Army National Guard, already stressed by deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, is doubling the number of troops it plans to send to the Gulf Coast as it shoulders the massive relief burden for Hurricane Katrina, Defense officials said Wednesday.
The number of National Guard troops is expected to double to roughly 21,000 by today, for a total military force of about 28,000, including active-duty forces from the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The initial focus will be on rescue operations and bringing in food and medicine before military units start working on clearing roads, supplying safe water and other tasks. Guard units are expected to play a key role in restoring order in areas afflicted by looting.
The troops going to the Gulf Coast are accompanied by hundreds of military cargo trucks, 72 helicopters, cargo planes, seven Navy vessels and a hospital ship, along with enough shipboard and mobile hospital beds to treat more than 4,000 people.
Defense officials said the Pentagon had enough troops to supply security, food and medicine to victims of Hurricane Katrina, but some retired military commanders and analysts warned that the added duties could further strain a Guard that many argue is near the breaking point.
"The reserve component is nearly half of the deployment in Iraq, and at the same time they are taking on this critical mission," said retired Army Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey. "It's an enormous strain on this dedicated military force."
Approximately 11,000 National Guard troops from Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi had reported for hurricane duty by Tuesday, Lt. Gen. H. Stephen Blum, commander of the Defense Department's National Guard Bureau, told reporters at the Pentagon.
Another 10,000 will be evenly divided between Louisiana and Mississippi over the next two days. One-third of the troops will be military police charged with combating looting and providing security, Blum said, with the rest carrying out rescue efforts, transporting supplies and repairing what damage they can in the short term.
The Guard troops, who remain under the ultimate control of state governors, are being joined by 7,200 active-duty troops from the Army Corps of Engineers and other units already on the ground, and more active-duty forces are likely, Pentagon officials said.
By the end of the week, Blum said, the Guard contingent will include troops from every state but Hawaii.
