Army stretched to breaking point, report says Pentagon.

[Jon8503]

Wednesday, January 25, 2006; Posted: 9:12 a.m. EST (14:12 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Stretched by frequent troop rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has become a "thin green line" that could snap unless relief comes soon, according to a study for the Pentagon.

Andrew Krepinevich, a retired Army officer who wrote the report under a Pentagon contract, concluded that the Army cannot sustain the pace of troop deployments to Iraq long enough to break the back of the insurgency. He also suggested that the Pentagon's decision, announced in December, to begin reducing the force in Iraq this year was driven in part by a realization that the Army was overextended.

As evidence, Krepinevich points to the Army's 2005 recruiting slump -- missing its recruiting goal for the first time since 1999 -- and its decision to offer much bigger enlistment bonuses and other incentives.

"You really begin to wonder just how much stress and strain there is on the Army, how much longer it can continue," he said in an interview. He added that the Army is still a highly effective fighting force and is implementing a plan that will expand the number of combat brigades available for rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/25/army.study.ap/index.html

[DS1]

1. We need a DUer to go watch a bootcamp graduation day

and see how strong the platoons are in the formation parades.

[Sparkman]

3. Retired regular ARMY is what's needed...to contrast today with pre-2003?

[marmar]

2. This is what KILLS me about BushCo and their dumbass supporters...

PNAC's whole mantra is to show off this awesome military that will scare the rest of the world into submission. But BushCo is destroying the military and scaring away anyone who might consider joining up. They have fucked up every branch of government and every aspect of its operation. I cannot believe what a nightmare America has become! :cry: :argh: :grr:

[Arkansas Granny]

4. I guess that since he is retired, he won't have to worry about

some kind of trumped up charges and a court martial for telling it like it is and disagreeing with the Chimp-in-Chief.

[leftofthedial]

5. personally, I blame Clinton

what the Army needs is more Republican politicians and more big-ticket weapons systems programs

:sarcasm:

[Fleshdancer]

6. Now what? More mercenaries or the draft?

I thought we would have a draft by now to be honest. Seems like the Pentagon wants something to be done if they're announcing this (not new) information at a time when Condi is threatening Iran.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. Brrrrrrrrrr...

I feel a draft in here

Maybe it's just deja vu


Vintage 1972