Raising the age for new recruits.

The U.S. Army, stung by recruiting shortfalls caused by the Iraq war, has raised the maximum age for new recruits for the part-time Army Reserve and National Guard by five years to 39, officials said today.

The Army said the move, a three-year experiment, will add about 22 million people to the pool of those eligible to serve, from about 60 million now. Physical standards will not be relaxed for older recruits, who the Army said were valued for their maturity and patriotism.

If they need to increase the age maximum for new recruits, they do not have enough troops.  This is clearly another indication that our military is insuffient.  

The Pentagon has relied heavily on part-time Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers summoned from civilian life to maintain troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan. Roughly 45 percent of U.S. troops currently deployed for those wars are reservists.

http://www.vaiw.org/vet/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1349&mode= thread&order=0&thold=0&POSTNUKESID=fe7203a6e50b5fe323b0cedf9f5035c4

45% of our troops are part-time troops?  What does this say to the rest of the world?  

It says we are an open target. We cannot adequetely defend ourselves.   Our troops in Iraq are already stretched too thin. We are off fighting an unjust war in Iraq.  This has left our country vulnerable.  

What can we do to speak out a against this war?

Letters to the editors

Letters, phone calls, email to our elected officials

Participate in protests.

Talk to people we know about how the war is costing our country a lot in terms of human lives.  

The Bush Adminstration shows no signs of an exit plan.  This is unacceptable.