Columbus, OH – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today sent the following letter to President George W. Bush via certified mail:
Via Certified Letter
May 29, 2007
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush:
For the second time in under two months, the Department of Defense issued an alert order for deployment of Ohio National Guard Soldiers. The most recent alert order was issued on May 26, 2007, for Soldiers in the 838th Military Police Company in Youngstown, Ohio, reporting to Fort Dix on September 28, 2007.
When the first alert order was issued on April 9, 2007, involving four Army National Guard brigade combat teams, including the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Ohio, I immediately wrote to you, asking for your assurance that prior to deployment, every Ohio Soldier is provided with the most up-to-date equipment and that every Ohio Soldier receives appropriate training.
I have yet to receive a response. And now, another alert order has been issued for Soldiers in the Ohio National Guard.
I remain concerned for the continued and unprecedented sacrifice our men and women in the Ohio National Guard bear in relation to the ongoing conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. As Governor of Ohio, I will continue to press for assurances that every Ohio Soldier is provided with the most up-to-date equipment and that every Ohio Soldier receives appropriate training. As I have expressed earlier, our Soldiers and their families deserve nothing less.
Mr. President, the men and women serving in the Ohio National Guard, the citizens of Ohio, and I as Commander in Chief of the Ohio National Guard deserve to have our questions answered. Consequently, I am asking for a timely response to the following questions:
· Will you give me your personal assurance that every Ohio Soldier, prior to deployment, is provided with the most up-to-date equipment for their mission, including individual body armor systems, M-4 rifles and other weapons systems, night vision devices, and up-armored type vehicles?
· Will you give me your personal assurance that every Ohio Soldier, prior to deployment, receives appropriate training for their mission, utilizing the equipment they will be using when deployed?
On behalf of the men and women serving in the Ohio National Guard and their families, I trust that you will respond promptly to these questions.
Sincerely,
Ted Strickland
Governor, State of Ohio
cc: Defense Secretary Robert Gates