Kevin Brooks wrote:

: "Then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell stated
: shortly after the war that it "...could have not been fought without the
: Guard".

Isn't that army policy? I seem to remember reading that
the US Army is deliberately organized in such way that
any major conflict requires calling in the National Guard.
In part because this allows the professional regular troops
to concentrate on the more hich-tech tasks, and in part to
create a political hurdle the politicians have to jump
over first. Sending National Guard units into combat
requires a clear commitment, so this prevents the army
from being slowly dragged into a full-scale war -- no more
Vietnams.

Emmanuel Gustin