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Illinois Sen. Barack Obama outlined his plan for utilizing the National Guard responsibly, his comments coming on a visit to one of the poorest sections of Waterloo Thursday.

Introduced by a local Army reservist and speaking to an audience of roughly 300 people at the Boys and Girls Club, the Democratic presidential hopeful centered his remarks around Iowa's 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment that is headquartered in Waterloo. Although members of the Ironman Battalion have been stateside since July, while in Iraq the service men and women learned from friends and family back home that their deployment had been extended.

"It's time to use the guard and reserves responsibly," Obama said. "No more unpredictable deployments. No more extended tours. No more failures to plan, to communicate down the chain of command, or to reset the equipment that we've left in Iraq. When we've got service-members who have to find out that their tour has been extended in a phone call home, we're not keeping that trust, and we're not keeping this country safe."

The Iowans were deployed to Iraq during March and April of 2006 and given the task of convoy security. The group provided securty for more than 500 combat patrols and escorted a total of 62,000 trucks over 4 million miles in the Al Anbar province. Two members of Company C -- Sgt. 1st Class Scott Nisely, 48, of Marshalltown and Sgt. Kampha Sourivong, 20, of Iowa City -- were killed during combat near Al Asad, Iraq in September 2006.

Obama's white paper on the National Guard and Reserves calls for improved mental health services, replacement of lost or over-used equipment and enhanced services for military families. He also would elevate the chief of the National Guard to the rank of four-star general and make that person a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Instead of trying to steer the conversation around Iraq and the current state of foreign policy in America, Obama led head-on into what many believe to be one of his strongest talking points.

"In the rush to go to war in Iraq we were failed by a president who didn't tell the whole truth," Obama said. "We were also failed by the media and the Congress. Let's be clear, without that vote, there would have been no war."

From domestic needs at home to failed national security, Obama hammered out a laundry list of items, which he eventually lumped into one phrase: "the cost of war."

"The right person to end this war is the person who had the judgement to oppose it from the beginning," he said. "There is no military solution in Iraq -- there never has been. That is why from day one I'll begin removing troops from Iraq immediately."

Obama promised to begin pulling out troops at the rate of one or two regiments a month while sending humanitarian relief into the country.

"Have no confusion," he said, "I will end this war."

While the announcement of Obama's plan for guard members, reservists and their families was the focus of the event and the primary reason the campaign chose Waterloo, campaign officials said there was more reasoning behind their exact venue choice within the city.

"We've been wanting to do an event in this particular neighborhood," said Josh Earnest, Iowa communications director for the campaign. "In addition to discussing the plan for the National Guard -- which is important locally because of the headquarters being in Waterloo -- the senator also plans to take questions from the audience and reach out to this segment of the population."

At least some of the rally attendees were a bit surprised when they heard the subjects to be discussed. Obama supporter Dr. Michael Blackwell, who stresses that through his organization affiliations he continues to work for the benefit of all the Democratic campaigns, was one person who spoke candidly following the event.

"I didn't know ahead of time that he was going to focus on foreign policy and deal with the situation in Iraq," he said. "That being said, I thought it was good to hear him really focus on it and take the time so that we could hear more than just a 60-second soundbyte. He really described his assessment of the situation, what he's done in the past and what he would do if he were to be elected president."

Blackwell said that he also would have liked, especially in this particular neighborhood, to have heard Obama discuss his politics of hope.

"In the question-and-answer portion he did try to address concerns about jobs, economic development and health care," Blackwell said. "So, he did touch upon those, but not as the central part of his speech. I have looked on his website and I have heard him in more private settings talk about jobs and training and education that would hopefully lead to better employment opportunities for the poor. I know his heart is there and that he's done that type of work in Chicago. But, yes, it would have been nice to hear that today since there are people in Waterloo who need to hear that and be encouraged. There are a lot of working class, unemployed and under-employed people here."

Waterloo resident Louise Miller said the portion of the event that meant the most to her was the part on domestic policy.

"There are just so many people that do not have health care," she said while holding open the facility door so others could exit. "Senior citizens especially rely on Social Security and have limited opportunities."

She admitted to being a member of the "Obama Mamas" -- something the button pinned to her jacket already proclaimed -- and then explained why she was supporting Obama.

"When you start listening [to all the politicians], you have so many saying so many different things that you don't know what is right and what isn't," she said. "You've got to just try and weigh it and determine which way you are going to go. Obama. I like the man himself and I think he is doing the best at getting his message across. It seems to me that he is saying what the people want to hear."

In a move that this reporter has not seen at an Obama event, staff members performed a brief question-and-answer skit before the event began that could have been dubbed Iowa Caucus 101. The hard ask for support, however, came from the man himself.

"We want you to sign a supporter card," he told the audience before beginning his prepared remarks. "We're going to have the exits covered as you leave so that we can at least ask you to sign a card. Also, if you have already signed a card, we want you to be a precinct captain."

The ask, however, did not come without a promise.

"I will not be a president who shortchanges governors like Chet Culver here in Iowa who are working hard to keep their people safe," he said. "I will not be a president who sends our guard off to fight in a misguided war while telling governors and state legislators to hope that a big snowstorm won't hit next winter or that a tornado won't come through town. I will not be a president who extends tours for our guard units overseas while Americans are stranded on rooftops right here at home."