As I'm sure you've heard, about 2,600 soldiers in the Idaho Army National Guard's 116th Cavalry Brigade were put on alert that they could be mobilized for active duty in Iraq.

While it is not inevitable, these soldiers' deployment in the worldwide War on Terror is highly likely. The Department of Defense is instructing our citizen-soldiers to begin putting their personal, fiancial and family affairs in order on the event of an extended overseas deployment.

This alert could impact more than just our citizen soldiers. Probably every Idahoan will feel the impact — a family member, neighbor, employee or teacher could be affected by this alert. It would truly be, in some ways, a mobilization of our entire state.

When the 116th Cavalry Brigade mobilizes, Idaho Army National Guard soldiers and their families will be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) for medical care in DOD's TRICARE Program. This transition to DEERS will be difficult for many families, and many may temporarily lose access to health coverage they currently enjoy. Others may be required to transition between health care providers.

In the spirit of public good faith, we ask the Idaho Medical Association to commit to the principle that no soldier's family will be denied needed medical care during this temporary deployment. If the IMA's members previously elected to not accept TRICARE-covered patients, I invite them to reconsider this decision with the understanding that, once our soldiers return home, they will then return to their current insurance coverage. We ask Idaho health care providers to provide medical care for the families of these brave Idahoans as they serve this nation in the War on Terror.