[ OUR OPINION ]

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Pentagon overburdens
Reserve, Guard units

THE ISSUE The Army Reserve's top general says the Reserve has been strained because of deployments overseas.

THE Pentagon's underestimate of troop strength needed in Iraq has forced it to rely on Army Reserve and National Guard units to augment the ranks. As a result, the Reserve's top general says it "is rapidly degenerating into a 'broken' force," and the commander of Hawaii's Army National Guard says he has no one left in the islands to command except the Guard's military band. Active-duty forces need to be expanded so the Reserve and Guard can return to their emergency functions.

About 40 percent of the 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq are from Reserve or Guard units, and that will increase to 50 percent by this spring, with forces including more than 2,200 members of the 29th Infantry Brigade from Hawaii. In a seething internal memo, Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, chief of the Army Reserve, told the Army chief of staff that the Reserve is unable to accomplish its missions in Iraq and Afghanistan because of "dysfunctional" personnel policies.

In the memo, first reported by The Baltimore Sun, Helmly said the Reserve is in "grave danger" of being unable to meet its responsibilities in other international missions or domestic emergencies.

It might get worse. The Army is considering a policy change resulting in reservists being called to active duty multiple times for up to two years each time during their eight-year commitments, according to a senior Army official. Current policy obligates a Guard or Reserve member to serve on active duty for no more than 24 total months.

The Reserve has been running about 10 percent short of recruiting goals. According to the memo, the Army responded by offering inducements for Reserve members who sign a "voluntary statement," requiring them to accept orders with less than 30 days' notice and promising them an extra $1,000 a month during active duty.

Helmly warned of the "sociological" damage to such an all-volunteer Reserve force. "We must consider the point at which we confuse 'volunteer to become an American Soldier' with 'mercenary.' Use of pay to induce 'volunteerism' will cause the expectation of always receiving such financial incentives in future conflicts."

Congress last year authorized a temporary increase in active-duty troops of 30,000, raising the total to 512,000. Even if that increase is made permanent, which is likely, the strain on the Reserve and Guard will continue. A greater increase is needed.

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Eve celebrants show
need for fireworks ban

THE ISSUE New Year's Eve celebrations created smoke, noise and injury.

SMOKE levels and fireworks complaints were at their worst during the New Year's Eve celebrations. At some point, state legislators will realize the absurdity of causing health risks and violent danger by allowing the explosion of fireworks to continue.

The state Department of Health reported that the air quality on New Year's Eve contained some of the highest levels of smoke in the past four years, resulting in numerous calls to the American Lung Association from people fearful of asthma attacks.

Police and fire officials received 949 calls about fireworks violations between Christmas and last Sunday. That was nearly double the number of complaints surrounding the 2004 New Year festivities.

The most heinous New Year's incident was the explosion of either a homemade bomb or an illegal aerial that detonated in the middle of an Aiea street minutes after midnight. Debris from the massive explosion broke three wrist bones of 11-year-old Cydnee Somera, who had been playing with firecrackers with other children.

Defenders of fireworks will point out that the explosives that burst near Cydnee were illegal, but the legal fireworks create cover for contraband. Illegal bombs and aerials are commonplace on New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July.

"I'm so mad at them," Cydnee wept from her hospital bed, referring to the bombers. She should direct her anger at lawmakers who put her at risk.