WHILE insurgents draw on deep wells of fury to expand their ranks in Iraq, the US military is fighting desertion, recruitment shortfalls and legal challenges from its own troops.
**…They [3 vocal deserters] are among more the than 5,000 troops that CBS’s 60 Minutes reported on Wednesday had deserted since the war began. **
The crisis may be even deeper than the statistics suggest. Active-duty Army recruiters exceeded their target of 77,000 by 587 this year only by dipping into a pool of recruits who had not planned to report until next year, and by dropping educational standards, Mr Korb said.
:hehe: Thousands going awol…good on 'em and the remaining can’t get into battle 'coz they haven’t tied their shoe laces :hehe:
5000+ on the run, that's quite a sizable armed force, wonder how much assistance they're giving to the freedom fighters, you could argue that being yellow streaks of piss is in itself help.
1.4 million active-duty troops and 865,000 part-timers
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This makes a total force of 2.27 million. 5000 desertion simply means a drop in the bucket.
US soldiers are much more vocal compared to an ordinary Arrabob soldier. So you’ll see statements against the Pentagon or the generals. However the long term deployment throught 2005-2007 will be down to 40,000 soldiers in Iraq.
Ahem, anybody want to mention the brave Iraqi National Guard? If they don't develop a spine, we should leave and let the place decsend into chaos. Only when it becomes clear that we are leaving will the Iraqis figure out that the responsibility for the country is theirs.
Long term, we will have a force of very experienced troops. Lots of good officers and NCOs with combat experience. The US will have to commit to an additional 2-4 Army Divisions in the next few years. Clinton drew down too many troops.
Calling air strikes on civillians populated areas is not my definition of a brave army more like cowards who scared to fight in case they get shot or die fighting!
Ooops there was one brave amerikkkan the world saw on the TV he managed to shoot a wounded unarmed guy in a mosque i think he will get the purple heart for making such heroic act like that!