U.S. Military May Face Reservist Shortage

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-iraq-reserves-tapped-out,0,805341,print.story

The strain of fighting a longer, bloodier war in Iraq than U.S. commanders originally foresaw brings forth a question that most would have dismissed only a year ago: Is the military in danger of running out of reserve troops?

At first glance the answer would appear to be a clear no. There are nearly 1.2 million men and women on the reserve rolls, and only about 70,000 are now in Iraq to supplement the regulars.

But a deeper look inside the Army National Guard, Army Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve suggests a grimmer picture: At the current pace and size of American troop deployments to Iraq, the availability of suitable reserve combat troops could become a problem as early as next year.

The National Guard says it has about 86,000 citizen soldiers available for future deployments to Iraq, fewer than it has sent there over the past two years. And it has used up virtually all of its most readily deployable combat brigades.

In an indication of the concern about a thinning of its ranks, last month the National Guard tripled the re-enlistment bonuses offered to soldiers in Iraq who can fill critical skill shortages.

[MADem]

1. They'll have to do something, soon

Maybe they'll start drafting people into the Reserves. They'll tell them they are just contingency troops, not to worry, and send them off to boot camp, make them train for six months at the weekends, and then, BAM!!! Off ya go to the sandbox, sucka!

[RamboLiberal]

2. I'm waiting for them to extend the 2 year limit

I think this time it's going to be these troops that turn on the military first.

I wish I remember where I heard it, but some military type said recently that this is '69 in Nam when big discontent and disobedience started in the trooper's ranks.

[MADem]

3. I've heard that too, from across the board

Not just the warfighters, but the beancounters and paper pushers as well, junior officers all the way up to flag/general officers. And of course, the closer to the throne you get, the more the heat is on. The ones having to prosecute this idiotic effort just aren't feeling the 'rosy scenario' love.

And no one is looking forward to Sunday....

[FlemingsGhost]

4. Please, please bring back the draft. Let's get this party started ...

Some Americans sure like to talk the talk. Let's see if they can walk the walk.

[Sleepless In NY]

5. kick

[yorkiemommie1]

7. they can't

i was talking to a woman who i KNOW voted for *. pre-election, she was surprised i wasn't. the other day she expressed relief that her great grandson wasn't going to join the army after all . and i said whoever voted for * had a 'moral duty' to enlist. she says, Not MY grandson! then, waffled on about not knowing whether 'he' voted and then further distanced herself by saying that the ME has been a trouble spot since Roman times.

i've heard it from fundies too, whining about their friends being called up, who have young kids. they are predicting a draft, a draft , of course, of OTHER peoples' kids. HA! they have two toddler boys and if we are still in the ME for decades, guess what? but will they connect the dots? NO!

my husb. has draft age grandsons. he STILL voted for *. he refuses to connect the dots between voting for the man and his wars and relinquishing your own blood to do it.

i betcha this scenario is repeated in millions of repug households across the nation, or we would see lines in front of the army recruiting offices.

[Earth_First]

6. "...the best-trained reservists are approaching the 24-month limit...

some senior officials inside the Army are considering whether the limit should be redefined so that mobilizations over the past three years would, in effect, not count against the 24-month limit."

Riiight. Are they attempting to create a mutiny?