It would take at least a couple of years to increase troops strength by enlarging military end strength. You've got to ratchet up recruitment, and then you've got to train them. And its not like all those extra troops can be run through in one massive training cycle. It would take a lot of time.
The thing that is causing the current crunch is the high committment of troops to Iraq. And honestly, whatever the rhetoric, I think its very unlikely that's going to continue for more than another year. We've already committed to elections, and a return of sovereignity to Iraq in 2004. Once Iraq is "sovereign", we can't stay there except at their express invitation. And no Iraqi government is going to be able to maintain credibility if it lets large numbers of U.S. troops stay.
So, they're going to ask us to leave, probably in late summer/early fall of next year. Troops are going to start returning, and I'll bet that less than half the current number will be in country by Jan. 1, 2005. The personnel crunch will be ending, and be completely over not long after that. Right about time those two extra divisions would have come online....
The good thing is that the images of large numbers of returning troops and the apparent end of significant involvement in Iraq isn't going to hurt Dubya one little bit.
They've already had three years since the current administration took office and two years plus since 9/11. Some of us figured that W would take dramatic steps like Reagan to imporve the force. We're still waiting.
That sounds like a smooth operation and I think everyone has those kinds of wishes. I agree I expect to see troop reduction in Iraq.
But it is not so simple. Those mullahs or whatever their clergy are called are fueling up storms as we speak. They are rejecting any form of election or representation that eliminates them as the feifdoms of SWA.
And I strongly believe that we need to boost up our troop strength, you are right -- start now. Iraq is an aside as is terrorism in the global game of -- well remember the cold war?
Think China...