Cross-posted at Texas KOS
Wow! The Pentagon is now admitting what we & every military leader (including Wes Clark) has stated: this simply can't go on. The military will break if we keep asking them to bend for us in Iraq.
Stretched by frequent troop rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has become a "thin green line" that could snap unless relief comes soon, according to a study for the Pentagon.
Can NOT break the insurgency:
The key passage to me comes in the 2nd paragraph:
...the Army cannot sustain the pace of troop deployments to Iraq long enough to break the back of the insurgency.
Please read the whole article. I'm trying to find additional links to support all stated in the article as well as what we've reported here.
Update: Another quote from a 4-star general:
if we don’t change the way we’re doing business, they’re in danger of being fractured and broken" - George Joulwan
Update: 9:30 am 1/25/2006: Here's a very revealing photo from the first diary that reported this story (apologies sfluke. i was so shocked i didn't check. you get all my mojo/cred/whatever): .
If these guys look this tired now, how about in a year from now? You have to feel for these guys.
Another Military story
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...