Posted on 12/05/2007 6:49:41 AM PST by RDTF
The Army's top general Tuesday acknowledged that his soldiers and their families are "stretched" and "stressed" by six years of war and will need a steady commitment of increased funding to keep the Army from sliding into the "hollow" force of the 1970s.
Gen. George Casey said the fight between Congress and the White House over the supplemental funding for Iraq and Afghanistan makes his job more difficult and sends "a terrible signal" to the troops fighting the war.
In a presentation to the Brookings Institution, the Army chief of staff appeared to try to strike a balance by giving a candid description of the problems facing his service and what it needs to recover while denying the more dire warnings from some analysts and critics. But Casey emphasized that the strain on his troops and the wear and destruction of equipment from the current pace of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan are "unsustainable."
Casey predicted a decision in three or four months on whether the Army troop level in Iraq could be reduced below the current 15 combat brigades.
Even if the commitment to Iraq is reduced and the Army can meet its goal of adding 74,000 soldiers, he said it would take three or four years of effort and increased funding to restore a force that is capable of meeting the full range of military challenges.
Noting the additional $17 billion in Army funding that Congress provided last year to improve readiness, Casey said: "Getting the resources to reset the force is the difference between a hollow force and a force that's ready to do the next thing."
Asked about the ongoing dispute between President Bush and the Democratic leaders in Congress over providing $196.4 billion in additional supplemental war funding, Casey stated the obvious that "not having predictable, timely funding makes it harder for me to do my job." And, he added, "What's going on now sends a terrible signal to my soldiers and their families."
Casey noted that thousands of soldiers are returning from 15-month combat tours while Pentagon officials are warning about ending services at their home bases to divert money from the normal budget to the war.
Bush issued another demand Tuesday that Congress approve the additional war supplemental without the timeline for removing U.S. combat forces from Iraq that Democratic leaders are demanding.
The general, responding to a question, acknowledged that the Army is granting nearly twice as many "moral" waivers for recruits as it did five years ago, but said 80 percent of those are for misdemeanor offenses. "The notion out there that we're enlisting felons is not true," he said.
Casey stressed the need to reduce the pace of deployments so his troops could remain home more than a year. With such a rapid turnaround between combat tours, the Army is unable to train for anything but the current counter insurgency operations, he said.
It would require at least 18 months between deployments for the Army to train a force able to handle "the full spectrum of combat," which would include a conventional conflict against a major adversary, Casey added.
What a wonderful Christmas present!! Enjoy!
Our job on the homefront is to pressure the Congress Critters to do what is right, and fund our troops, when they can’t bring themselves to do it on their own.
What’s wrong with what he’s saying? GEN Casey would know far better than anyone on this forum whether the Army’s deployment pace is unsustainable. If you believe it’s not that bad, I suggest you find the nearest recruiter and sign up to help out.
I was in a worldwide command post exercise (war game) where we gamed defending against a conventional attack through Fulda. We stopped them a little over halfway across W. Germany, sustaining heavy casualties. There was a Clancy novel about a conventional Warsaw Pact attack that had the same result. I always wondered if he was privy to those results. :-))
We (wife and kids will be up from NC) will be seeing him in at Dullas Airport a few days before Christmas, then [Mrs] T and I are heading down to my brother’s in NC, where our son and kids will come over Christmas afternoon.
There have been several FReepers and Lurkers who have sent him packages and emails, so they’ll also be with us, Welcome Home signs in hand.
[Mr] T
LLS
Thank God for Ronald Reagan.
“Thank God for Ronald Reagan”
Amen! Now if only God would send us another one just like him.
No, just a rightie combat vet who’s tired of big talk from keyboard commandos. You’re “you don’t know me, I do what I want!” nonsense is completely childish. As is the behavior of Congress, which is partly what GEN Casey was addressing. And I have friends who are being deployed, come back for school for maybe a year (usually less) and then go right back to Iraq on another 1+ year deployment. Tell me how that’s sustainable and tell me how the General was wrong.
That is so cool! I wish you the happiest Christmas of your lives! *HUG*
There’s nothing like pointing out the obvious to get people fired up. ;-)
I have at least 6 friends in Afghanistan and 4 in Iraq right now. I spend a lot of time and money helping through Adopt a Platoon, Oliver North’s group, the USO, VFW, Air Guard EM Club and several other relief groups. You shouldn’t be so quick to condemn those you know nothing about.
LLS
I keep him filled in on every positive news report on support - I am also a columnist in my home area and had a very successful "Adopt a Platoon" campaign that resulted in 24+ boxes going to them for Christmas - including from his old schools - some of the darlingnest drawings and notes from the elementary kids! - some are late, like the middle school and VFW in getting boxes together and they won't get there for Christmas - which I'm thinking will be great as they will probably experience a great drop off after Christmas - but they will STILL be hungry and cold...
His tiny unit was featured on ABC in a special film by embeds who simply filmed as it was happening - no spin. (Frightening fr an old gramma to watch) -
For anyone who didn't catch it - you can see it by going to SETAF - (Southern European Task Force home base for the 173rd Paratroopers) at
http://www.setaf.army.mil/
scroll down to "Go behind the front lines in Afghanistan
and watch the 4 short segments -
These guys are like ducks in a shooting gallery - (Also catch the Jan Issue of Vanity Fair - now on stands)
Gates needs to forget about his toes being stepped on and let the Marines come in to help...Gates forces there were calibrated on the promise of additional troops from NATO - which NATO has reneged on - So accept the offer from the Marines, you idiot.
I understand that the commander of the Marines has already sent men for training in mountain fighting anyway and they will be ready by spring - BLESS HIM!
Now I'm waiting for Gen. Petraeus to 'make it happen'
I'm hoping that the recent and unprecedented new mission of General Pertraeus = being sent back home to assume a new role at the DOD - looking at the current commanders in the field to ascertain who's still trying to fight a gorilla war with old convention tactics - and doing some shuffling around - I know, right off, of two I'd like to seek shipped back to wherever - maybe "early retired" =
Thanks to the treasonous lower than scum, Teddy Kennedy and his protege, J ffffing Kerry and cohorts.
My grandson's dad was in the Marines and 'over there' when you were - WE WILL NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.
The same crowd of sedionists have tried, from day one, to pull off another fiasco like they did to Vietnam and the soldiers and Marines - but they have been spectacularly unsuccessful this time.
Their last straw is, as they did for Vietnam, withholding funds -
We all have to stand up and shout NO _ and Hey Nancy of the Plastic Face and Reid the Rat - FUND OUR TROOPS NOW - you are not fooling us. YOU, not President Bush, are the problem.
DAmn right...
Bet they're still kicking themselves for that
yep. Talking with my grandson in the mountains of Afghanistan one day (They have been in over 500 firefights since getting there in June!) and he had been able to get back a bit out the worst of it where there was running water and phones - all of a sudden, I heard a loud noise and he said: "Gotta go, Gramma." and hung up - incoming mortars = and then I got to see him and his unit "Battle Co," featured in the ABC film last month - embeds went with them for weeks on end and simply filmed as it was going down - no spin.
You can see the film on the military site for the 173rd Pararoopers
http://www.setaf.army.mil/
scroll down to
Go behind the front lines in Afghanistan
and watch the 4 short segments - and they have lost more since - including their camp dog, Tank, (who is featured in the film) through actions by the barbarians they are fighting - my g'son now wears "Tanks" dog tags and there has been/will be pay back.
They are featured in the Jan issue of Vanity FAir now on stands -
Gates needs to pocket his ego and let the Marines come in to help as they want to
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