What're the odds....?

Without much notice yesterday,

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken their toll on the National Guard's readiness, leaving some units with insufficient equipment to respond to a domestic catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina, top Guard officers told lawmakers Thursday.

"While most adjutant generals believe they have sufficient equipment to deal with single disasters common to their states, they fear ... having to send equipment to support a regional disaster such as Katrina," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Roger Lempke, president of the Adjutants General Association of the United States.

This seems like quite a gamble with American lives. A gamble taken largely without our consent.