Maine’s new general: ‘Rules have changed,’ chances of being deployed are high
By Bonnie Washuk
Staff Writer

AUGUSTA – Any young person thinking about joining the guard to get money for college should realize there’s a significant chance he or she will be called to Iraq, Maine’s new Adjutant General of the Maine National Guard said Thursday.

With no draft, the downsizing of the full-time military and more demand for troops in Iraq and other places, it means a heavier demand for the part-time warriors who used to rarely be deployed overseas for long periods, Adj. Gen. John “Bill” Libby said hours after being sworn into office by Gov. John Baldacci.

“We’ve got guys and guys who have been in the guard for 20 or 30 years and never have gone anywhere” and now are in Iraq. “Since 9-11 the rules have changed,” Libby said. “Any young man or woman joining the guard for many of the benefits needs to realize the current environment and that deployment is certainly a possibility.”

Libby, 60, succeeds Maj. General Joseph Tinkham, who retired. Libby is a native of Lewiston and lives in Waterville. In addition to overseeing the state guard, he is also the state commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management.

And the reason why Maine has the third-highest percentage of state guard soldiers deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom compared to other states boils down to supply and demand, Libby said. Members of Maine’s guard have the skills needed for Iraq.

“We have medevac helicopters which are very necessary in a combat zone. So our medevac company went,” Libby said. The same for Maine’s transportation units, critical for moving heavy equipment. Ditto for Maine’s engineering units needed to rebuild war-torn Iraq. And Maine’s guard soldiers skilled as military police are also in demand. “Many of the needed units happened to be in our force,” Libby said.

So far the fact that part-time state soldiers have been shipped to Iraq has not impacted recruitment, Libby said. But he’s worried whether he’ll be able to maintain his numbers. He’s unsure how many will not re-enlist after returning to Maine, Libby said.

There’s no question the current trend will negatively impact Maine’s guard, Libby said. “The answer is to reduce the tempo by adding more people to the full-time military, or get the military out of some places.” Either solution has to be decided by Washington.

Even though 64 percent, or 1,313 of Maine’s guard members have been deployed, that leaves an ample force to deal with what the guard does: respond to state emergencies such as the ice storm of ’98 or the recent flood in Canton, Libby said. And if Maine had an emergency, guard members from other states would respond, he said.

Libby said he’s committed to maintaining the department’s “outstanding reputation” and to helping veterans. On the job a few hours, Libby said Thursday he’ll look into new initiatives. One idea he’ll explore is a guard program to help economically disadvantaged Maine youngsters with after-school programs.

There may be federal money that could help initiate that kind of help for Maine’s youth, Libby said. “There are federal programs out there not yet leveraged,” he said.

Before taking over for Tinkham, Libby was deputy commissioner responsible for the department’s budget, legislative agenda and daily operations. Before that he served as director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency, overseeing the response and recovery operations during the ’98 ice storm.

Before serving in the guard, Libby was in the Army and served as a battery commander in Vietnam. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Maine.

Libby graduated from Lewiston High School in 1961.

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