Analysis: US Army shows signs of strain in Iraq, Afghan wars

WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army is showing growing signs of strain as it tries to sustain troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan, including stress on soldiers, lower unit readiness, equipment shortfalls and money worries.

The Army, largest of the military services, has provided most of the ground forces in the 3-1/2-year-old Iraq war and 5-year-long Afghanistan war. About 102,000 of the 142,000 U.S. troops in Iraq are Army soldiers, as well as 16,000 of 21,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Many soldiers are facing second and third deployments. U.S. military leaders had expected lower U.S. troop levels in Iraq by now, but have been scrambling to sustain higher totals because of sectarian violence that has raised fears of a civil war. No significant cuts are expected until at least the middle of next year.

In the past two months, the Pentagon has extended two brigades of nearly 4,000 soldiers each beyond their scheduled departure date from Iraq -- which can undermine morale and upset families at home.

Army officials also said they might need to turn more to part-time National Guard soldiers for future rotations.

Army leaders are expressing concern over getting sufficient resources to sustain overseas deployments and replace and fix tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment battered in Iraq.

The Army has warned of declining combat readiness of units as soldiers face less time at home bases for rest, training and re-equipping after a yearlong combat tour. In fact, a brigade due to deploy in January will have spent barely a year at its home base between tours in Iraq.

"The real question is: Can the Army do its job?" asked Lawrence Korb, assistant secretary of defense for manpower issues under former President Ronald Reagan. "The Army is not going to be what it should be. There are going to be more deaths and longer wars because you're not at your peak readiness."

Read the rest at Reuters/Alternet

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