EVEN THE MARINES FEEL THE COST OF IRAQ

Top Marine Says Corps Stretched Too Thin
Commandant: Demands of Iraq Could Affect Future Readiness
By JONATHAN KARL and MARTIN CLANCY
ABC News
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2006

Gen. James Conway said that the demands of Iraq have put strains on the Corps that threaten its worldwide mission. ... Either the Marine Corps must be made bigger, Conway said, or the demand for Marines in Iraq reduced.

"Artillery men are not training artillery," he said, noting that the Marine Corps has essentially stopped full-scale, fire-and-maneuver exercises. Almost all the training now focuses on counterinsurgency, preparing Marines for Iraq. Jungle and mountain training has also suffered, Conway said, making the Marines less prepared to fight the next war.

The Corps' size could be increased, Conway said, but it would take time. Recruiters could be expected to add only about 1,000 to 2,000 additional Marines a year.