"9/11 changed the perception entirely," argues Major-General Joseph Taluto, who now heads the first guard division to be deployed overseas since the Korean war; it is in Tikrit.A chat with the general's men suggests he is right.
In March, troops from the 49th Armored Division of the Texas Guard took over the American peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, the first time since the Korean War that a guard division commanded an overseas operation.
"This nation as a whole is not going to spend the money to bring every guard division, every reserve unit and every active-duty division up to the pinnacle of readiness 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," said P. T. Henry, the Army's assistant secretary for reserve affairs.
Another obstacle will be the amount of time it takes to mobilize a guard division, compared with an active division, since most of its soldiers serve only part time and, in many cases, are scattered in units spread over several states.
Two guard divisions fought in Korea.
Behind them were Republican Guard divisions, the best-equipped and most loyal units in Mr. Hussein's army.
If one or more Republican Guard divisions can be routed quickly, the way to Baghdad may be opened.
Allied war planners hope to degrade the strength of Republican Guard divisions from the air before the ground battle begins.
The immediate goal, he added, was for the Army and Marine forces "to hold tight and hope that the Republican Guard divisions get chewed up" by bombing.
And he refused to believe American intelligence reports that Mr. Hussein's Republican Guard divisions were crushing Shiite and Kurdish rebels, arguing -- incorrectly -- that the divisions had been destroyed.
[Map, Page B14.] Allied aircraft are making bombing runs at the rate of 1,000 sorties a day, most of them aimed at Mr. Hussein's guard divisions.
