ONE OF THE BEAUTIES

He was not getting out of drills, he wasn't going to be physically there to do the drills because he was going to be in another state to perform his civilian occupation, which was very common in the Guard then, and it is very common in the Guard today -- that it's a civilian occupation which allows them to also fulfill their military obligation. And President Bush was working with the commanders at that point, at that time, to find out how he could fulfill his duties, as well as meet the duties in civilian life. That's one of the beauties of the National Guard system, that you can do both.

--Dan Bartlett, the White House communication director, replying to a question from CBS's John Roberts about George W. Bush's National Guard service

The Iraq war is taking a growing toll on soldiers of the National Guard and Reserve, which have suffered more deaths since April 1 than in the previous seven months combined.

...Throughout the conflict, deaths among National Guard and Reserve troops have represented 15% to 20% of the monthly U.S. total. In May that figure jumped to 28%, and it jumped even higher this month [June], when 18 of the first 35 Americans who died were members of the Guard or Reserve.

...Army Gen. George Casey, chosen to assume command of all U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq, told Congress on Thursday that that National Guard and Reserve troops could make up as much as 50% of the total U.S. force in Iraq in the months ahead....

--USA Today/AP, 6/27/04