THE STRAIN ON OUR MILITARY

I've written several times¹ about how a drawdown in Iraq is inevitable because of the tremendous strain on our ground forces. Here's more from the NY Times:

Army Brigade Finds Itself Stretched Thin
By DAVID S. CLOUD
Published: March 20, 2007


FORT POLK, La., March 14 — For decades, the Army has kept a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division on round-the-clock alert, poised to respond to a crisis anywhere in 18 to 72 hours.

Today, the so-called ready brigade is no longer so ready. Its soldiers are not fully trained, much of its equipment is elsewhere, and for the past two weeks the unit has been far from the cargo aircraft it would need in an emergency.

...units at home preparing to deploy are facing equipment shortages and have all but given up preparing for anything other than their next tour in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“We are fully committed right now,” said Col. Charles Hardy of the Forces Command, which oversees Army training and equipping of troops to be sent overseas.

¹
TROOP DRAWDOWN

MORE ON DRAWDOWN

"THE THIN GREEN LINE"

DRAWDOWN INEVITABLE

DRAWDOWN, PART IV

DRAWDOWN, PART III

OUR ARMY