GRAPEVINE

By DAVID ELLIS

President Bush last week praised the 100,000 "citizen-soldiers" serving in the gulf, but apparently the Pentagon doesn't fully share his enthusiasm for reservists. Even though the government has spent 10 years and $100 billion training the National Guard for war, Army brass has so far refused to deploy the Guard's fighting units. Reservists represent almost 50% of U.S. combat capability, but Army reservists say they are being shut out by turf-conscious commanders. Air Force reservists are handling vital support missions in the gulf; so are Guard backup units, including medical teams, truck drivers and supply companies. But the three armored brigades that Defense Secretary Dick Cheney called up have been stuck Stateside since November.

CHART: NOT AVAILABLE

CREDIT: NO CREDIT

CAPTION: TOTAL ARMED FORCES

2.1 Million Active Armed Forces

1.1 M Reserves

.6 M National Guard

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart