Pa. National Guard Sees Largest Combat Deployment Since WWII

Even as Americans focus less on the war in Iraq, Pennsylvania National Guard members are stepping up their presence there.

Reports from military and congressional sources show 5,000 local guard members are serving in Iraq as of Monday, including 4,000 of the state's 56th Stryker Brigade.

SLIDESHOW: Exclusive Photos - Behind-The-Scenes With Penn. Nat'l Guard In Iraq

Changing circumstances in Iraq, including a recent decrease in violence and casualties, have allowed the military to shift some of its resources to Afghanistan. In the meantime, the Army is leaning on the Pennsylvania National Guard to help in combat operations, construction projects, intelligence gathering and training for Iraqi Security Forces.

The Pennsylvania National Guard is uniquely valuable because it's the only unit of its kind in the nation to operate the Stryker, a famously resilient and complex combat vehicle. LINK: More Info About Army Stryker

Capt. Cory Angell, a spokesman for the 56th Stryker Brigade, said in an e-mail, "Because the soldiers were so well trained and newly equipped (currently the best equipped brigade in the U.S. Army), it would follow that when we hit operational readiness we would receive a mission."

The unit's tour of duty will likely last through September, according to officials with the Pennsylvania National Guard.

There is concern that this large deployment will strain the resources of local guard members and their families. Rep. Bill Shuster, a Somerset County Republican who visited the unit in Iraq in early June, said: "There certainly is stress on families. Anytime you're at war, you've got them deployed for a year. It's stressful." Guard members often hold full-time jobs back home.

Angell said the unit is helping its members cope with the family and financial stresses while overseas. He said, "(Many of our) briefings point to resources that are available if you need assistance, such as a chaplain, a combat stress facility and, maybe most important, your buddy. They have stressed for us all to look out for each other."

The unit has suffered two casualties since beginning its tour of duty in January. Most recently, guard member Chad Edmundson, 20, was killed when a bomb exploded near his foot patrol outside Abu Ghraib. Edmundson was memorialized in services in Blair County, Pa., and Iraq.

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