Army Reserve fears troop exodus

[UpInArms]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-09-29-reserves_x.htm

If the United States is unable to recruit significantly more international troops or quell the violence in Iraq in the next few months, it could trigger an exodus of active and reserve forces, the head of the U.S. Army Reserve said Monday.

Lt. Gen. James Helmly, chief of the 205,000- member Army Reserve, said he and other Pentagon leaders will be monitoring retention rates closely next year, when problems could begin to become apparent for full-time and part-time soldiers coming off long tours of duty in Iraq.

"Retention is what I am most worried about. It is my No. 1 concern," Helmly told USA TODAY's editorial board. "This is the first extended-duration war the country has fought with an all-volunteer force."

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