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Top Marine: Troops under too much strain
CNN ^ | 11/22/06

Posted on 11/22/2006 7:18:21 PM PST by bnelson44

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The new Marine Corps commandant said Wednesday that the longer than anticipated pace of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is putting an unacceptable strain on his troops.

Gen. James Conway said the service is unable to meet its goal of giving Marines twice as much time at home as in a war zone.

He said unless the demand on the corps eases, he may have to propose increasing the size of the force.

The Marine Corps is the smallest of the Pentagon's military services. The Coast Guard, which is even smaller, is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Currently there are 180,000 Marines on active duty and about 40,000 in the active reserves. Marine units serve seven-month deployments in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Conway, who led Marine units into Iraq in 2003 and served on the Pentagon's joint staff, said his troops should get 14 months of relief before they are sent back.

Typically, however, they get only seven or eight months home before being returned to combat, he said.

Assuming the Marines' top job little more than a week ago, Conway told reporters at a Pentagon roundtable discussion that he sees two ways to alleviate stress on troops.

"One is reducing the requirement [of a set deployment time]. The other is potentially growing the force for what we call the long war," Conway said.

Some units are serving their fourth tours in Iraq, and the strain on their families has raised concern that Marines will start leaving the service when their enlistments are up.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iraq
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1 posted on 11/22/2006 7:18:22 PM PST by bnelson44
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To: bnelson44

Well..DUH!!!

Grow the Corps.....easy answer!

Next?


2 posted on 11/22/2006 7:23:48 PM PST by Txsleuth (Bolton/Cheney (that would be Lynne) 08)
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To: bnelson44
cnn.com

Take with grain of salt. 'nuff said.

3 posted on 11/22/2006 7:23:53 PM PST by El Gato
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To: Txsleuth

That is probably what he is after. He is the new kid on the block and can get away with asking for an increase in force.


4 posted on 11/22/2006 7:29:22 PM PST by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (Welcome Home, son! You and your comrades are our heroes!))
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To: bnelson44
Here,....read what was really said and not the Cresant Noose Network interpretaion: Ops Tempo May Require Larger Marine Corps, Commandant Says
5 posted on 11/22/2006 7:30:03 PM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: Txsleuth
Grow the Corps.....easy answer!

In WW-II, or the Korean war, yea. But the with media telling everyone the war is already lost, and without lowering standards, which the Marines are loathe to do, maybe not so easy, even if $$ were not a consideration.

Plus it takes Congressional authorization to increase the size of any of the armed forces above whatever ceiling Congress has decreed. Think the DemonRats are going to allow that?

6 posted on 11/22/2006 7:33:04 PM PST by El Gato
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To: SandRat

The Corps can ease these stresses and strains two ways, Conway said. “One is reducing the requirement,” he said. “The other is growing the force for what we call the Long War.”


7 posted on 11/22/2006 7:38:53 PM PST by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (Welcome Home, son! You and your comrades are our heroes!))
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To: bnelson44

Draft Charlie "the Chump" Rangel.


8 posted on 11/22/2006 7:46:50 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (America! It's off with the desert BDUs and on with the lavender burqas!!!)
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To: bnelson44
Thanks to Democrat Al Gore's "reinventing government" scheme, which meant defending the military for eight years. Democrats are the most useless scum on the planet, next to Muslims.
9 posted on 11/22/2006 7:50:32 PM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham (Democracy: The worst form of government, except for all the others.)
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To: El Gato

No...the Dems might not go for it ...but, I would LOVE for them to have to vote on it...so we would have them on record, NOT supporting the troops..

If they voted NO...knowing that regardless of any "pull out timetable"...we are in a WAR for a long time..and not NOT approve more Marines....would be endangering the ones we have now, more.

Don't lower standards...from what I understand, they haven't had any trouble in recruiting...

From now until 2008...the rule should be...that we force the democraps into having to VOTE on anything that they have complained about...so they will be on record.

That way during the elections...we will have proof if they put their vote where their rhetoric is.


10 posted on 11/22/2006 7:58:58 PM PST by Txsleuth (Bolton/Cheney (that would be Lynne) 08)
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To: bnelson44
Hey CNN..let me fix it for ya

...putting an unacceptable strain on his troops Marines.

There ! Much better.
Idjits...
11 posted on 11/22/2006 8:02:16 PM PST by stylin19a ("Klaatu Barada Nikto")
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To: bnelson44
We need 4-6 more Regualr Army divisions, heavy on the air cav and light on the armor, financed by a special tax on limousine liberals who have no veterans in their families.

Ouch, can't believe I said that.

12 posted on 11/22/2006 8:02:53 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: SandRat

holy crap ...CNN had to purposely butcher that interview.


13 posted on 11/22/2006 8:05:52 PM PST by stylin19a ("Klaatu Barada Nikto")
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To: bnelson44
...the service is unable to meet its goal of giving Marines twice as much time at home as in a war zone.

How many wars have been won with a goal like that?

14 posted on 11/22/2006 8:08:57 PM PST by Just Lori (Blessed are the peacemakers: ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, MARINES, COAST GUARD!!!!)
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To: El Gato
You took the words out of my mouth Marine.
We will be fortunate to just keep an even keel in the years to come.
15 posted on 11/22/2006 8:09:17 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (Honor must be earned)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Speaking of draft, I don't know why people on this board are so against the draft. I mean I figure it gives everyone a chance to serve their country and potentially make the ultimate sacrifice. I figure if you love the USA and certainly in the case of this war, if you agree with it, you shouldn't have an issue with the draft!

I'm personally all for it and don't think the military quality will suffer a lick because the standards will ensure that the best people are put in the best positions.

Besides I would hate to support a war but not support the opportunity for everyone in the country to fight for their country in a war that they support.


16 posted on 11/22/2006 8:15:17 PM PST by EternalPatriot (I put my country before the letters R or D. USA FOREVER)
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To: Just Lori
How many wars have been won with a goal like that?

Hopefully, very long ones like the one we are currently in.

17 posted on 11/22/2006 8:24:13 PM PST by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (Welcome Home, son! You and your comrades are our heroes!))
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To: Marine_Uncle

He's not a Marine.


18 posted on 11/22/2006 8:24:35 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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To: SandRat
If the current deployment trend continues, Conway said, Marines and their families may leave the service. “The young families, Marines (and) sailors may say it’s more than they are willing to bear,” he said.

Call me crazy, but I think this guy MAY be wrong! Deployment to a war zone is indeed very stressful. It's hard on wives and kids and parents and siblings. It's even harder on the ladies and gents who leave those loved ones behind, but the reason they leave has not changed. They leave precisely BECAUSE of those loved ones.....and because of the loved ones of others. Freedom is not free, and they know it. So do their families.

It's a new day, folks, and it's a new war....unlike any war we have ever fought. The threat is unlike any we have ever faced. All of our service people know this. Too bad the armchair quarterbacks haven't figured it out.

19 posted on 11/22/2006 8:25:24 PM PST by Just Lori (Blessed are the peacemakers: ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, MARINES, COAST GUARD!!!!)
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To: El Gato
Plus it takes Congressional authorization to increase the size of any of the armed forces above whatever ceiling Congress has decreed. Think the DemonRats are going to allow that?

They will if they think the public wants them to.... and that may be what is happening here. The brass selling the idea to the public. Remember, Dems always have one finger in the wind.

20 posted on 11/22/2006 8:28:41 PM PST by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (Welcome Home, son! You and your comrades are our heroes!))
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