State Sen. Marc Pacheco says the Massachusetts National Guard could be caught shorthanded in an emergency, but Sen. Scott Brown disagrees.

Brown, R-Wrentham, is a major in the National Guard, and he said there has never been a question about fulfilling all tasks.

`` I've been there 27 years now, and I'm on the inner circle, and I have never heard we are spread too thin,'' Brown said.

At a Statehouse hearing Thursday, Pacheco, D-Taunton, questioned whether National Guard deployments to Iraq and elsewhere was spreading the force too thin.

`` I believe we've improved in terms of technical capabilities,'' the Associated Press quoted Pacheco as saying at the hearing. `` However, it is a stretch for me to believe we're going to be able to do twice as much with half the personnel when we have much more to worry about than ever before.''

Pacheco is the chairman of the Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee.

He called the hearing to see of the guard was capable of handling an emergency at home, like floods or hurricanes, while troops are deployed to Iraq.

There are about 500 Massachusetts National Guard members in Iraq, and another 150 members of a Brockton-based unit -- which includes several Attleboro-area soldiers -- are heading there on Saturday.

Members of the 399th Combat Support Hospital out of Taunton, which also includes several Attleboro-area residents, are also scheduled to go to Iraq this month.

Brig. Gen. Oliver Mason Jr. told the committee that the guard can handle many tasks because of improved training and equipment.

He said recent flooding showed the guard's capabilities.

Massachusetts also could call on help from other states if need be, he said.

JIM HAND can be reached at 508-236-0399 or at jhand@thesunchronicle.com.