WaPo: Two Years Later, Iraq War Drains Military

[grytpype]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48306-2005Mar18.html

Two years after the United States launched a war in Iraq with a crushing display of power, a guerrilla conflict is grinding away at the resources of the U.S. military and casting uncertainty over the fitness of the all-volunteer force, according to senior military leaders, lawmakers and defense experts.

Unexpectedly heavy demands of sustained ground combat are depleting military manpower and gear faster than they can be fully replenished. Shortfalls in recruiting and backlogs in needed equipment are taking a toll, and growing numbers of units have been broken apart or taxed by repeated deployments, particularly in the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.

Read the whole thing, it's incredibly frightening. Bush's wars are destroying the Army, both man and machine.

Among the horrible details:

"Yesterday, defense officials worried about recruiting announced that they will raise the age limit, from 34 to 40, for enlistment in the Army Guard and Reserve."

"Army stocks in Southwest Asia are exhausted, and those in Europe have also been "picked over," one U.S. official said. Roughly half of the Army and Marine equipment stored afloat on ships has been used up, the official said. Refilling the stocks must wait until the Iraq war winds down, Army officials say."

"Meanwhile, a sizable portion of Marine and Army gear isin Iraq, wearing out at up to six times the normal rate. Battle losses are mounting; the Army has lost 79 aircraft and scores of tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles."

[FourStarDemocrat]

1. As long as Halliburton, et al make money, who cares?

..certainly not our good ole' boys at the top-- Rummy, Cheney, and all their pals.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Let's see:

...and reenlistment levels have generally remained high.
then
Yesterday, defense officials worried about recruiting announced that they will raise the age limit, from 34 to 40, for enlistment in the Army Guard and Reserve.

bull*cough*shit

[wellst0nev0ter]

21. Of Course Reenlistment Is High

if they are FORCED by a backdoor draft.

[gumby]

3. Does this mean ....

that "Bush gutted the military"?

If I heard that phrase about Clinton once, I heard it a million times. In fact, the wacknuts are still saying it. aaarrrggg.

[NNguyenMD]

4. just curious, how did they sustain the army in Vietnam so long?

I understand how they bandaided the man power shortage with the draft, but the machinery and equipment one should be a given the defense department has one of the most overblown budgets in the history of man.

[davhill]

9. The equipment was simpler then

And more suited to the environment. Nam, like previous wars, was a case of throwing bodies at the problem. In Iraq the military tries to use fewer bodies and more technology. It isn't working that way either.

[LynnTheDem]

5. "If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in

nation-building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road."
-George W. Bush, 10/3/00

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/debates/transcripts/u221003.html

"The Iraq war has also led to a drop in the overall readiness of U.S. ground forces to handle threats at home and abroad, forcing the Pentagon to accept new risks..."

Guess what, Georgie...

[pinniped]

6. Wow, such a menacing display of power and the resistance is still fighting

--Two years after the United States launched a war in Iraq with a crushing display of power--

Maybe they need to double the crushing size next time around.:eyes:

[Wright Patman]

7. LBJ was accused

of following a "guns and butter" policy. This supposedly caused the stagflation of the 1970s. The difference between then and now is that at that time the U.S. was the largest creditor nation in the world.

Get ready for economic "shock and awe" courtesy of our creditors. This was the first attempt in world history by a hopelessly indebted country to break its way out of insolvency through military conquest.

Actually, as I think about it, it is probably pretty common in history for a nation to do this. It's pretty much what many think caused the rise of Hitler, but the difference is that we had not lost a war and suffered under unduly harsh treaty conditions. We did it because PNAC wanted to practice a little "world domination" before it was too late.

[indepat]

8. Such small prices to pay to bring democracy, freedom, and liberty to Iraq

[leftchick]

10. isn't that a neat and tidy way to say....

for oil profits and defense contractors pockets?

[indepat]

14. "The neocons consider these are" may be understood to antecede my remarks

of this nature on this board. These are obviously but small prices the neocons are willing to pay to bring their version of democracy, liberty, and freedom to any land briming in oil profits or profits otherwise for defense contractors' pockets. The pentagon, by codifying a pre-emptive stike doctrine against anyone a Republican president chooses, makes this crystal clear. Perpetual war is the offing and anyone not liking it is against them and is therefore, by definition, the enemy and thus a terrorist.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. kick

[Daphne08]

12. Well, it all just pisses me off beyond words!!!

[leesa]

13. Crushing display of power? They almost got their asses kicked until

Saddam ordered his men to stop and go underground. All we have are the cowardly bombs.

[Hissyspit]

15. Spoiled, Complacent, Ignorant, Hypocritical Americans:

An excerpt from the article:

One recent night, after making dozens of fruitless phone calls to high school students, Shelley said his recruiting job is more taxing than combat. "I hear 'no' more times in one day than a child would hear in their entire childhood," he said. "If I had hair, I'd pull it out."

The active-duty Army and Marine Corps, and five of six reserve components of the military, all failed to meet at least some recruiting goals in the first quarter of fiscal 2005, according to Defense Department statistics. The active-duty shortfalls came amid rising concern among Army and Marine officials that their services risk missing annual recruiting quotas for the first time this decade.

Shelley, for example, has signed up four people in nearly six months, despite working 16-hour days. Asked why recruiting is so difficult, he has a quick reply: "The war."

[yorkiemommie1]

17. i have a solution

... creep up on the kids, throw a big net over their heads and drag 'em off to boot camp. oh, yeah and get all, ALL... the bush voters in boot camp too. 18 to 80, no matter what condition. if they can't shoot, they can cook, pick up trash, clean latrines.

it might be a good idea to leave enlistment forms for ' Patriots for Bush ' in public places like malls, restrooms, fitting rooms so the idle patriots can go enlist. i just passed a recruiting office today and ... surprise surprise surprise... NO ONE IN SIGHT!!!

[NYC]

20. Signed up 4 people in 6 months = 520 hours per recruit.

That's pretty dismal.

...Shelley, for example, has signed up four people in nearly six months, despite working 16-hour days. Asked why recruiting is so difficult, he has a quick reply: "The war."...

I don't know what their usual rate is, but that means 16 hours x 5 days x 26 weeks = 2,080 hours divided by 4 people = 520 hours per person signed up.

Recruitment really isn't going well, is it?

Feel free to check my arithmetic.

[pfitz59]

16. Make the war-profiteers pay!

Establish a selective draft for the children Govt officials and defense contractors (only)! Apply federal salary guidelines to ALL federal contractors and consultants! (Govt/War must be non-profit!) take away the profit incentive and enthusiasm for the war will die overnight!

[NNN0LHI]

18. This only proves we need more tax cuts for the wealthy n/t

[Barkley]

19. We're spending $5 billion a month and they can't recruit people

and Bush wants $81 billion more.

Where's the accountability?

Our troops should not die in a war for oil.

Bring 'em home right NOW!