All this debate about whether or not to put more troops in Iraq usually sidesteps the question of where exactly those troops would come from.
There was a very good article on the subject put out by the Associated Press last Thursday (I read it in the Philadelphia Inquirer--unfortunately, since it is over seven days, links to the original lead to paid archives).
Some excerpts:
"The Army could have a tough time finding more combat troops if they are needed in Iraq.
Of the service's 10 active-duty divisions, all or parts of nine are already in Iraq to serve 12-month tours of duty, or have returned home in recent weeks after a year's duty.
If extra troops are needed, soldiers may get less time at home before going back...The Army may also have to consider sending troops now in South Korea....
It would even be difficult to keep the force at the current level beyond June or so, when 20,000 soldiers whose yearlong Iraq tours were extended by three months are due to go home. The Army has not said which units it would call on if it must replace those 20,000 this summer....
The only Army division not now in Iraq or just returned is the Third Infantry. But that unit is not expecting to get the Iraq call again until about January, since it has already done one grueling tour there....The Third infantry returned to its Georgia bases last summer and is in the midst of a top-to-bottom reorganization and refit....
[Lt. General Richard Cody]...said that if extra troops were needed, the Army would abandon its goal of allowing soldiers at least one full year at their home station before going back....
Looked at another way, the Army has 33 active-duty brigades within the 10-division structure. Of those 33 brigades, 27 are either in Iraq or Afghanistan or just returned home. Of the six others, three are in the Third Infantry, and two are on duty in Korea.
The only other brigade available is...in Alaska, which is 'waist deep' in a fundemental reorganization...."
Hmmmm. Maybe the Bush administration can just form soldiers out of the mud, a la the "Lord of the Rings" movies?