Rumsfeld bristled when one reporter asked for a comment on critics who maintain the war on terrorism limited the ability of the National Guard to repond to this natural disaster at home. His answer: “That’s just flat wrong.” Earlier in the Tuesday briefing, Rumsfeld noted that there are more than 300,000 Guardsmen who are not deployed overseas right now. “They are available for relief and security efforts in the United States, should they be necessary,” he said.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
