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Admiral: Two wars stretch U.S. forces beyond limits
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WASHINGTON — The military's top uniformed officer today said U.S. forces are "significantly stressed" by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan while simultaneously trying to stem the tide of violent extremism elsewhere.
"The pace of ongoing operations has prevented our forces from fully training for the full spectrum of operations and impacts our ability to be ready to counter future threats," Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Mullen's stern warnings are likely to become welcome political fodder for anti-war Democrats, who want legislation requiring troops spend more time at home between combat tours. Last year's efforts to pass such a bill failed after intense lobbying by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who said it would do more harm than good and tie the hands of military commanders.
Mullen asked Congress to support a $588.3 billion request for defense spending in the 2009 budget year, which begins Oct. 1.
Of that amount, $70 billion would go toward war spending, representing only a fraction of what the wars likely will cost. Military officials say the money is expected to last until early 2009, when the next president takes over.
Much of the Pentagon's annual budget request is aimed at expanding the ranks of ground forces and improving their ability to fight. The spending blueprint allots $20.5 billion to boost the size of the Army by 7,000 soldiers, to 532,400, and add 5,000 Marines to expand the Corps to 194,000.
Mullen says adding more troops to the payroll is a necessary step toward easing the strain on a force that cannot sustain the current pace of operations. According to Mullen, soldiers should be limited to yearlong combat tours, instead of 15-month deployments, and eventually be given two years at home between deployments, instead of just one. Marines should move to 14 months at home after seven-month deployments, he said.
"I am extremely concerned about the toll the current pace of operations is taking on them and on their families, on our equipment, and on our ability to respond to crises and contingencies beyond ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.
Mullen also said violence in Iraq has "substantially decreased," but Afghanistan is facing "a growing insurgency, increasing violence and a burgeoning drug trade fueled by widespread poppy cultivation."
Gates suggested to the committee that President Bush will be confronted with competing views on what to do next in Iraq.
Gates said he will weigh in, along with the head of U.S. Central Command and the service chiefs, in addition to Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq.
Last month, after meeting with Petraeus, Bush signaled he might endorse a pause in troop reductions.
Petraeus is scheduled to report to the president and to Congress in April on possible additional cutbacks and any recommended changes in strategy. Petraeus recently said it would be prudent to "let things settle a bit" after the current round of troop cuts is completed in July.
Gates and Mullen did not say whether they agree with Petraeus.
