By Sheri Tanaka
Utah National Guardsmen are highly sought after because of their specialties. The Utah troops are deployed more than any other soldier in the United States.
'The Utah National Guard leads the nation in the percentage of soldiers and airmen against the fight of terrorism,' said Lt. Col. Brad Blackner of the Public Relations Office.
Nearly 900 soldiers are currently deployed or mobilized, which is 25 percent of the total 6,600 soldiers.
'The next state closest to us is 21 percent,' Blackner said. 'This goes to show you how highly trained the Utah National Guard is.'
The specialty units that are greatly sought after provide foreign language support, infrastructure rebuilding and instructor training, Blackner said.
'If something does happen with Iraq, mobilization will increase,' he said. 'We''ll probably be required to provide more troops.'
The 19th Special Forces group is trained in demolitions, infiltration, patrolling, security and weapons, Blackner said. 'If there is conflict they are the first ones called in.'
Sgt. Kent Madsen, 23, a BYU junior from Littleton, Colo., majoring in construction management said he recently got married nine months ago, but has only been able to live at home with his wife for five of those months. He''s even had to take a year off from school to serve in the 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion.
'Trying to live two lives of a military and a civilian life, you don''t really know what to expect, but you just have to be prepared,' Madsen said. 'You have to have your civilian life in order, especially with your family, in case you are for some reason not able to come back.'
Aside from the long-term separation, families struggle financially to supplement the lost money from civilian jobs.
'One of the problems we are having is the inequality of civilian wages versus military,' Blackner said.
Many of these men have two jobs, the National Guard and a civilian job. However, when called upon by the military they often loose their payment from their civilian employers.
According to the Associated Press, First Sgt. Nick Lopez, who left his job as a Salt Lake City firefighter, said the income for one engineer in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines went from $140,000 a year to $28,000.
At the beginning of this year President George W. Bush authorized a three and a half percent pay increase for all soldiers, Madsen said.
'I am willing to do what is necessary to keep peace for all Americans today and hopefully for the future,' he said.
At BYU, the ROTC is not affected by the decisions of President Bush to go to war with Iraq.
'When we graduate that''s when we''ll be put on active duty,' said Aaron Baum, 22, a sophomore, from the Air force ROTC. Currently the ROTC is training for when they will have the opportunity to serve their country.
'The men and women we have in our units have a lot of pride, they want to preserve their freedoms. These kids train and they are ready to do whatever they need to,' Blackner said.