Gates: More US troops could head to Afghanistan

[laststeamtrain]

Gates: More US troops could head to Afghanistan
By LARA JAKES, Associated Press Writer 16 mins ago

FORT DRUM, N.Y. – The Pentagon's chief said Thursday he could send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan this year than he'd initially expected and is considering increasing the number of soldiers in the Army.

Both issues reflect demands on increasingly stressed American forces tasked with fighting two wars.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates' comments came during a short visit to Fort Drum in upstate New York — an Army post that that he said has deployed more soldiers to battle zones over the last 20 years than any other unit. Two Fort Drum brigades are headed to Iraq later this year, and a third is currently in Afghanistan.

Asked about Afghanistan by one soldier, Gates said, "I think there will not be a significant increase in troop levels in Afghanistan beyond the 68,000, at least probably through the end of the year. Maybe some increase, but not a lot."

<more>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_gates

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[enlightenment]

2. One of my students, who was recently in southern Afghanistan with

Red Horse, told me that his unit was advised that we would have upward of 75,000 troops in the region by the end of July. He said the runways and such they built were equipped to handle more than drones.

*shrug* who knows?

I'd be interested in knowing how Mr. Gates is planning on "increasing the number of soldiers in the Army". Is he talking about overall numbers? Because I think Congress has to approve that. Or is he just going to start cloning them?

[laststeamtrain]

3. What did I miss in post #1?

[LWolf]

4. Fuck.

:grr:

In addition to the endless war, endless death, endless debt, the fucking bogus "war on terror" perpetuates, I have someone to worry about. Again.

My son's best friend. He spent a whole lot of time with us, growing up, and has called me "mom" since adolescence.

When my life was in crisis a decade ago, my son gave up his out of state job and came home to take care of me. So did his best friend. They stayed with me for months, and then stayed close for a few years to make sure I was okay on my own.

But...jobs were scarce where I was, and the friend got tired of working in fast food. So he joined the Army. In 2002. He was in Iraq early on. In Mosul, during the bombing of the mess tent. He escaped that because he was too tired to show up for the meal; he stayed back to sleep.

He stayed with me on leaves, so we got to see him whenever he was state side. They kept sending him back, and they stop-lossed him repeatedly. When he finally was released, he was injured and suffering from ptsd. The Army listed him as 91% disabled because of the back injury and the ptsd. He was at a loss for a purpose in life; his wife, married on one of his leaves, was not waiting for him to come home, and instituted divorce proceedings as soon as he showed up.

So he joined the National Guard; he told me, "That's what I know how to do; it's the only thing I'm good at." :( I don't know why the guard took him when the army listed him as disabled.

I do know the guard sent him right back to Iraq, and that's where he's been. He was supposed to be coming home for good next month.

Will he be stop-lossed again? Will there be anything left of this man by the time we finally get him back?

Will we ever stop spending lives to accomplish political goals, rather than defense of the nation?

[Mari333]

5. just keep digging the quagmire deeper

insane.