Army: Service Must Cut Combat Tours

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Army: Service Must Cut Combat Tours
By ANNE FLAHERTY (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press

February 26, 2008 11:27 AM EST
WASHINGTON - Top Army officials have told a Senate panel that the Army is under serious strain and must reduce the length of combat tours as soon as possible.

Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, said "the cumulative effects of the last six-plus years at war have left our Army out of balance."

Casey told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that cutting the time soldiers spend in combat is an integral part of reducing the stress on the force. He said he anticipates the service can cut combat tours from 15 months to 12 months this year, so long as the president reduces the number of Army brigades in Iraq to 15 units by July as planned


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[BearSquirrel2]

1. Unfair to soldiers ...

The fact that Bush has ran his little war on the backs of citizen soldiers is disgusting. He knew damn well how long he wanted to be there. They are over deploying intentionally to avoid a military conscription.

I would have preferred that the Democratic congress give the administration an ultimatum by limiting combat tours for soldiers and forcing the president to conscript to continue his dirty operation.

[LynnTheDem]

3. "They are over deploying intentionally to avoid a military conscription."

Yeppers. Drafting the soldiers again & again until they're dead or so torn apart as to be absolutely useless. Anything to avoid upsetting We the Sheeple with conscription.

BETRAYED.

[tuckessee]

6. Many, if not the majority, joined after the Invasion of Iraq.

They VOLUNTEERED for this war.

They made their bed now let them lie in it. It's the only way they'll learn.

[blackspade]

8. Nice. Your regard for you fellow americans is touching....

[LanternWaste]

10. I'm sure there are other less violent...

I'm sure there are other less violent, less fatal, less injurious ways to learn a lesson.

I don't see them as having made this particular bed-- to me it seems that Bush & Co. were the ones making hospital corners...

[Mik T]

12. What if it was your son being drafted?

You might change your tune then.

[BearSquirrel2]

16. Point is ...

The point is that we've always had the notion that warfare is a shared burden. You hand out the draft cards and say that each man has an equal chance of being selected. And of course we will take volunteers.

The volunteers are exhausted. By and large they will NOT re-enlist and you will be left with a shattered shell of a military.

These guys signed up and volunteered to protect their country. Now our government asks more of them then they ever should. They did their job, let them stay home and live their lives now. Two tours and you should be DONE!!!!

If there was a draft the shreds of remaining support for this war would quickly evaporate as freeper children would end up with their fantasies disillusioned in Iraq.

[uppityperson]

2. k&r for the troops and sanity.

[paparush]

4. Gimme a 'D'.. Gimme an 'R'... Gimme an 'A'... Gimme an 'F'... Gimme a 'T'..

[AndyTiedye]

11. If They Start Up the Draft they Can Keep the War Going Forever

We don't need a draft. We need to get out of Iraq. Now.

[Mik T]

13. I know, since when are dems pro-draft?

[Tempest]

5. Why are they telling the Senate tour lengths have to be cut?

Tell Bush, he's the deciderer.

[Solly Mack]

7. Multiple 12 month tours weren't any better

it's the multiple tours causing the greatest strain...

Before the tours went to 15 months, the strain of multiple tours was already there.

It went from 12 months out and 12 months down (maybe) to 12 months out and 6 months down (maybe) to 15 months out and MAYBE 12 months down. When the 15 month tour first started it only applied to some soldiers "in-place" and then it went widespread..and even then the 15 month tours didn't begin until April of 2007(not even a year ago). And the soldiers were under strain of multiple tours long before 2007.

Now they are acting as if returning to a standard tour time of 12 months - that will continue to include multiple tours - is somehow better.

That's like shooting me in the leg and then claiming you're going to bring me relief because now you're just going to stab me in the leg.

PTSD doesn't go away in 12 months of down time and multiple tours of *just* 12 months does nothing to reduce or prevent PTSD. Knowing you'll have to go through it over and over and over and over and over again...that's not relief....that's pure stress.

I lived through the strain of a 12 month deployment. I know what 12 months does to the soldier, the spouse, and the family. I know 12 months of down time isn't enough time to recover from a 12 month tour in either Iraq or Afghanistan. I live with the stress of having to repeat those 12 months over and over and over and over again. It's a death sentence that hangs over everything you do. It's constant dread. It colors everything in your life. And I'm just the spouse...imagine how the soldier feels.

There's no end in sight...and they want to act as if going back to the standard 12 month tour is somehow going to make people feel better? NO end in sight. 12 month tours....over and over and over and over again. NO end in sight.

And ALL for lies...lies and trumped up evidence. To expand the powers of a wanna-be dictator. To fill the pockets of war profiteers. To use the cover of "war" to erode rights and break the law.

[truedelphi]

9. Thank you for your sacrifices. For attempting to remain sane

And attempting to make sense out of the senseless.

I wish to Gawd that there could be no wars unless those assigning them to others had to sacrifice something of their own.

You want a war, you decide - will it be my right index finger or the left one.

And if you can't fulfill your promise of it being a quick and well planned excursion, then the fingers keep gettin cut.

Bush wouldn't even have any hands left if this was the deal.

[lovuian]

14. We need to get the Hell out of Iraq

that will end these tours

[mysteryman2]

15. This may benefit McCain

I have said the republicans may pull out of iraq to support the republican candidate. If they pull our or appear to be pulling back it will crush the dean antiwar democratic message.

By the way it was started by dean the ani war message.