Oregon Public Broadcasting

It takes about 300 officers to direct and command the Oregon Guard force deploying to Iraq this spring. These officers come from a variety of backgrounds but they have this in common: they're in high demand.

April Baer reports on one young guard officer who's balancing service and a civilian career.

Chris Shull

When Chris Shull deploys to Iraq, he'll leave behind a day job as a deputy district attorney for Multnomah County. He passed the bar in 2007, so he's pretty new. He works on a lot of misdemeanor cases.

Chris Shull "One of the things I often hear judges say to a juror , when they come in for jury service, is 'This is the only thing your country will ever require you to do'."

But somehow the minimum didn't seem quite enough to him. On a recent weekend, he was working on final preparations for the Oregon Guard's massive 41st Brigade deployment. Shull is a second lieutenant, Alpha Company.

Chris Shull   "Here you can see everybody's just going through it all. All the sergeants are making sure everybody's got everything they're supposed to have."

Chris Shull "Getting it all done?"

PFC: "Yes sir."

Everywhere on the loading dock, soldiers are spray-painting stencils of their name and battalion color  on rucksacks and huge heavy duty packing crates. And there are literally tons of equipment to move. The logistical challenge is part of Shull's pre-deployment work.

Chris Shull "We're going to have armored humvees we're going to be driving around in, we might get some of the newer mine-resistant vehicles. We've been having a series of meetings working out where everybody's just gonna be."

The Oregon Guard would love to know more about what moves young men like Chris Shull, college-educated, with ample career prospects beyond the local recruiting office.

Chris Shull   "I vividly remember, I was skiing on Mount Hood in -- what, late '04 when the big assault on Fallujah was going on. I very vividly remember sitting down, having a sandwich, and having a cup of coffee, and listening to the radio and going, 'Wow. This is not going too great right now. The military needs help.' "

Shull did basic training between his first and second years of law school. He found himself on a fast track for officer training school, which he completed one weekend a month, over a year and a half.

Chris Shull    "I'm not a conservative guy. It's not a political question it's -- you know I grew up in the Boy Scouts, and I felt like if I wanted to be able to look at myself in the mirror I needed to go and do some of that work. I'd be hiding from something if I didn't."

Aside from his mindset, Chris Shull is unusual in his willingness to accept the Guard's on-again, off-again lifestyle. The stress of repeated deployments has taken its toll on the existing officer corps.

The Oregon Guard has joined several other branches of the U.S. military facing a shortage of young officers. Major Cary Miller is commander of the Oregon Army National Guard's recruiting and retention.

Major Cary Miller    "For the Younger officers, it's difficult at times for them. It's hard on their families, especially if they've recently married or in new relationships.  Their employment may suffer because they may not have that habitual relationship with your employer. If you're a small business owner. The impact of a deployment definitely affects them."

Right now, about ten percent of the Oregon Guard's officer positions are open.  There's only so much the Guard can do.

While active duty Army families enjoy base housing, child care and support, those options don't exist for Guard families.  But the lifestyle has become more appealing, as the economy has hit the skids.

Major Miller says his February recruiting total was his best in the past three years.