Pentagon officials concerned that the "Surge" has made it harder to respond to emergencies

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http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/10/12/iowas-fields-could-be-level-for-some-long-shot-democrats/

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ARMY CHIEF Gen. Casey asks staff to find leading indicators of whether strains on Army are worsening.
Senior military officials fret that the “surge” of 30,000 troops into Iraq has depleted inventories of Army training equipment and will make it harder to respond to emergencies or conflicts elsewhere.

Congress has given the military more money to replace equipment. But medium-weight trucks, M4 rifles and surveillance systems remain scarce because the surge “sucked all of the surplus out of the system,” says Lt. Gen. Stephen Speakes, a senior officer on the Army staff at the Pentagon.

Army officials say the service is strained but not yet broken. If it breaks, they say it could take years to get it back on track.