Strickland Still Waiting for Assurances on Troop Equipment and Training

After the launch of State Sen. John Boccieri's congressional campaign in North Canton yesterday, Gov. Ted Strickland was asked by a reporter about his letter to George Bush, requesting assurance that Ohioans called up for military duty in Iraq would receive proper equipment and training before deployment. He replied that he has still not heard back directly from the president, but last week he did receive a "cordial" telephone call from the Secretary of the Army. However, that official was not able to give Strickland an affirmative answer to the two questions Strickland had asked, i.e., whether Ohio national guard personnel and reservists will have and be trained with the equipment they need to keep them as safe as possible, and whether the president will refrain from sending them into the war zone until they have that equipment and training. "I think what I am asking of the president is reasonable," said Gov. Strickland, "and I am troubled that I have yet to get an affirmative response."

Listen to the audio of his response here:

Strickland.mp3