Official: Risk to Guardsmen exaggerated

Posted on Tue, Jul. 12, 2005
ROBERT BURNS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The dangers faced by American troops in Iraq have been exaggerated, adding to the difficulty of recruiting soldiers at home, the Army general in charge of National Guard forces said Tuesday.

The casualty rate for Guardsmen is low compared with any previous armed conflict, said Lt. Gen. Steven Blum.

He said he recognizes that every death is a tragedy for that person's family. "But I lose, unfortunately, more people through private automobile accidents and motorcycle accidents over the same period of time," he added.

"It is dangerous, but it is - I shouldn't say it to this group but I'm going to - it is misrepresented, how dangerous it really is," Blum said during a breakfast with defense reporters.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/12/AR2005071200520.html