Hurricanes And Horses

To the Editor:

In regards to your editorial, “Making Jobs Job One” [Editorial Ink Drops, 8/26/11], you cite the Second Company of the Governor’s Horse Guard as an example of a program saved in this year’s budget. When they were slated for closing, one of the arguments made for keeping them was that this unit was trained as military police and available for deployment during natural disasters. I would like to know if they were mobilized or used during Hurricane Irene. If not, why not? Why was this resource not used to evacuate people or prevent looting along the shoreline?

If they were out during the hurricane I apologize and please let us know so we know our tax dollars were not wasted.

Sincerely,

Charles Shaw

5 Sturges Road, Newtown                                           August 30, 2011

(Editor’s note: During and after the storm, Second Company Horse Guard volunteers assisted at the emergency shelter set up at the Newtown High School. Also the horse guard facility at Fairfield Hills took in 18 animals in addition to the guard’s 10 horses during the emergency.)