Erie Campaign Launched To Keep PA National Guard Home

 The Erie Peace Initiative (EPI) has begun circulating a “People's Resolution” that urges our governor to “… exhaust every avenue in his power to stop further deployment of Pennsylvania National Guard troops to Iraq.”

The local campaign is part of a coordinated state-wide grassroots effort to keep our National Guard home.  In October 2002, Congress authorized President Bush to federalize state Guard and send them to Iraq.  The stipulated purpose was to defend U.S. national security against the “threat posed by Iraq.”  In 2008, Iraq poses no threat to the United States; the authorization has expired; control over Pennsylvania National Guard now reverts to our governor.

Pennsylvania National Guard troops are needed at home.  EPI's Resolution calls on our governor not only to keep them home but also, without delay, to bring home those now deployed in Iraq.

EPI is also garnering support for a concurrent legislative initiative in Harrisburg: HB 2402 (the Payton bill) and S 1234 (the Ferlo bill).  These companion bills clarify that authority to keep the State Guard in Federal service has lapsed, whereby control over them reverts to the State.

The Payton/Ferlo bills point out that keeping Pennsylvania National Guard in Iraq beyond the time and scope set forth in Congress's 2002 authorization has resulted in “significant harm to guard members and their families, including death and injury, loss of time together, and financial hardship.”  The bills invoke defederalization of the State Guard.

Signed copies of the People's Resolution will be delivered to our state legislators to urge them to pass the bills that will bring our Guard home from Iraq and keep them here.

Copies of the Resolution and information about the Payton/Ferlo bills are available by calling 786/351-0303.

A copy of the brochure in Word format is here [1].