No rifles for the new troops

From today's NY Times we learn something about the National Guard troops that are being redeployed to Iraq:

“We’re behind the power curve, and we can’t piddle around,” Maj. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, commander of the Oklahoma National Guard, said in an interview. He added that one-third of his soldiers lacked the M-4 rifles preferred by active-duty soldiers and that there were also shortfalls in night vision goggles and other equipment. If his unit is going to be sent to Iraq next year, he said, “We expect the Army to resource the Guard at the same level as active-duty units.”

I would think it might be somewhat difficult to fight without guns. So, what are they going to expect these guys to do? Just stand there and get their heads shot off?