Planned troop withdrawals won't bring much relief to U.S. military

[Barrett808]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

Planned troop withdrawals won't bring much relief to U.S. military
By Nancy A. Youssef

WASHINGTON — Top Defense Department officials testified Wednesday that the Bush administration's plan to withdraw some 20,000 U.S. troops from Iraq this summer will do little to relieve the stress on the Army and Marine Corps.

Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the military was exhausted by the repeated deployments to Iraq.

Finding a way to reduce the amount of time troops are deployed to Iraq is critical, he said. Currently, soldiers are sent to Iraq for 15-month tours, and Marines serve seven-month stints, followed by seven months at home.

"The well is deep, but it is not infinite," Mullen said. "We must get Army deployments down to 12 months as soon as possible. People are tired."

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/26903.html

[saigon68]

1. What a life

To support war criminals like draft dodger Cheney and his criminal friends at Halliburton

[The Croquist]

2. 20,000 is better then sending more troops.

I was a kid during "Vietnamazation". Nixon (from memory) first announced a withdrawal of 50,000 soldiers over about 3 months. This was followed by another 150,000 troops. It took a while but eventually we were out of there.

I live in Atlanta. When people tell me that the 1/2 inch of rain we got doesn't really matter I ask them if they want to give it back.