Top Army General Calls Army ‘Out of Balance’
EmailABC News’ Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey told reporters today his branch of the military is "out of balance" and said that the six years of constant conflict since 9/11 has "stretched and stressed our all volunteer force."
Speaking at the National Press Club, Casey said he still thinks success in Iraq is "eminently attainable," though he admitted there are limits beyond which the current Army could not go. Before he became Army Chief of Staff, Casey was replaced as the commander of US forces in Iraq after the November 2006 election to make way for Gen. David Petraeus and the surge strategy.
Casey’s deputy, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody, said at Ft. Hood that troops should be prepared to continue with the current, extended 15 month troop deployments associated with the surge of US troops in Iraq through next June. Casey said he "would not be able to recommend" extending the longer tours beyond next Spring.
Casey pointed to plans to grow the Army by nearly 50,000 troops in the coming years and said he is generally satisfied with the commitment on Capitol Hill to give appropriate funding to the Army.
When asked if the military has considered a move to reinstate the draft, Casey said "the demand for forces exceeds the supply and if the demand doesn’t go down" the Army will need a mechanism to provide more forces. Case said the draft is "absolutely not under consideration" at the moment.
While he warned against continuing the surge for too long, Casey said the troops currently having their tours extended are capable for the moment of bearing that burden. "Ninety days in Iraq goes like that," he said, snapping his fingers.
Casey remarked that in addition to taking a toll on soldiers, the surge is leaving its mark on their families too. Many soldiers currently in Iraq will miss two Christmases with their families.
"There is no question the repeated deployments are having a debilitating effect on the families and children," but he pledged to improve the support infrastructure the military has in place.
Casey also said in his speech that he thinks the coming decades will be marked by "persistent conflict" and confrontation with both "state and non-state" actors."
Gulf of Mexico to Become Gulf of America? 
Can Mitt Romney Win Conservatives Back?
Would love to see your credentials
you are obviously the product of a very determined Democratic attack machine
Posted by: Boudoures | August 14, 2007, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
I keep hearing radio spots for Selective Service. Reinstating the draft will be this president’s final “gift” to the American people, on top of the ridiculous war.
Posted by: DaveM | August 14, 2007, 5:24 pm 5:24 pm
Your can only get the foolish, and the hard core unemployed, for so long.
Sooner or later, you must have other options, and the rich guys are getting off scott free, when it comes to service.
That’s really what the volunteer service is…..a way for the wealthy to avoid the military.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | August 14, 2007, 5:26 pm 5:26 pm
I say we definitely need to reinstitute the draft.
First, we should poll every single man in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 60 years old and for every one of them that votes, ‘yes’ I do support Bush’s bone-head war in Iraq, then they’re drafted, given ‘quick’ training and shipped to Baghdad in 60 days.
The war would be over in a month.
Posted by: Stram | August 14, 2007, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
This war is going to last 10 years and cost 10,000 American lives.
The Republicans won’t admit the mistake and simply want to stay the course.
The Democrats want to make the war the central issue in the 2008 campaign so it’s in their best interests for the war to continue for the time being.
Bottom line: no matter what happens or which party wins the 2008 election, I believe the war will go on for at least another 2 years, most likely 4.
What ever happened to “when the Iraqi’s stand up, we’ll stand down”? we’ve been over there 5 years and what’s been done? how long does it take to train an Iraqi police and army divisions?
Someone please answer me the following questions, because I sure as heck am not
getting them answered from the current administration or the enws media:
1). How many Iraqi divisions are now in place?
2). How many Iraqi police officers are there?
3). What is the desertion rate amongst these troops/police officers?
4). Where are the terrorists opposing the duly elected government in Iraq getting their weapons and stuffs of war?
5). What if anything are we doing to interdict this flow of supplies?
I could go on, but I think that’s enough for now.
Hal
Posted by: hal09i | August 14, 2007, 6:16 pm 6:16 pm
I am a Vietnam Veteran and right now I would not advise man, woman, nor beast to enter the US Military, Border Patrol, or big city police force. One mistake in the heat of battle and you will be crucified. Criminals, terrorists, and illegal aliens have more rights than law enforcement or the US Military. Besides, most Americans are sure as hell not worth dying or getting shot to pieces for.
Posted by: howard | August 14, 2007, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
finally the truth comes out, but as usual ABC has us commenting like this instead of the usual posting where we can all debate the issue. No surprise? Another quality effort from Always Bush’s Cronies.
Posted by: newzjunky | August 14, 2007, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
“Duh.”
Posted by: Scott | August 14, 2007, 7:21 pm 7:21 pm
Stop abusing our all volunteer soldiers and reinstate the draft!!! Then people will appreciate their military better that what they do now!!! If they don’t want to join make them join!!! I don’t blame soldiers for deserting the military it is a form of slavery what they are doing to these troops and it makes me sick!!!
Posted by: usaman | August 14, 2007, 7:44 pm 7:44 pm
It burns this veteran’s butt hearing chicken hawks say: “They knew what they were signing for!” Few soldiers imagined they would journey to Iraq five times. Each time they start anew. They endure fifteen months were death is everywhere.
Defending our nation should be shared more evenly. Once, Americans were fair dealers. Americans pulled their own weight. They felt it was morally wrong to expect a few to shoulder the whole burden.
Posted by: Mike Johnson | August 14, 2007, 8:06 pm 8:06 pm
I hope Bush tries to re-instate the draft. Maybe then, the average American citizen will tell their representatives and Senators to go straight to hell and riot in the streets. That’s what this country needs. I am tired of being screwed by this administration. I don’t understand where the voice of the people went. I am absolutely disgusted with the democratic party. Spineless wastes of skin.
Posted by: Mary | August 14, 2007, 8:14 pm 8:14 pm
I wonder if We are going to wait until the army breaks before we do anything about it. We either have to redeploy from Iraq or reinstate the draft. There are no other options.
Given the facts I would prefer a redeplyment to another arab country. If the Iraq’s don’t care enough about there country to do what is neccessary to save it, then why should we.
Saving the president’s pride is simply not worth people dying in Iraq. Its time to admit a mistake and get out.
Posted by: ARG | August 14, 2007, 8:15 pm 8:15 pm
Who would I be able to call to get my son into the Texas Air National Guard?
Posted by: Chuck | August 14, 2007, 9:02 pm 9:02 pm
Does anyone know if “we the people ” can impeach a president?
Posted by: Brenda | August 14, 2007, 11:53 pm 11:53 pm
as long as we remain dependent on middle eastern oil, we will be involved in resource wars in the area. when we become energy independent, we will no longer have need of the middle east. its really that simple. when that happens, they will need us more than we need them, then the fight will be over. but, we refuse to drive smaller plugin hybrids to work or drive slower or build nuclear plants to power the hybrids. therefore, conflict is inevitable. it will always be about the energy. its the pirates treasure of the modern world, and its getting more scarce each day.
Posted by: lbk | August 14, 2007, 11:55 pm 11:55 pm
The Selective Service is already to go.
They had money bugeted to test run it.
The question is what will be the age requirement. Will females be required?
This is a go unless we stop the war.
It’s the only other alternative.
Posted by: Adams684 | August 15, 2007, 1:27 am 1:27 am
Another Bush clown. He commanded Iraq but never spoken **** then, why now? He is a big dis-service to our man in uniform.
Posted by: marc | August 15, 2007, 9:07 am 9:07 am
Of course the military is “out of balance”. All things flow from the top down – since Bush, the top dog, has always been “out of balance” how else can anything run by him be otherwise? No surprise here. Any business either flourishes or fails because of it leadership. Government is no different. The whole administration has been out of balance since day one. I just hope we can survive the balance of his term.
Posted by: Ron | August 15, 2007, 10:10 am 10:10 am
When he was the Commander in Iraq, he said just about everything what Bush wants to hear. Is he a looney, singing/talking a different tune now?
Posted by: marc | August 15, 2007, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
It’s always nice to know that our military is so stretched out in the world that we wouldnt be able to properly defend ourseleves at home. All over the nation we are of supplies and men, yet we can afford to send those things out to Iraq and the world? Nonsense…
Posted by: Kim | August 15, 2007, 5:12 pm 5:12 pm
This president has done nothing to be impeached for. This is a just war however I would like to see a draft to get some of you liberal pukes under my comand. Cowards.
Posted by: Frank | August 15, 2007, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
Well..well..well… A draft would be the best thing that this president could do. It would seperate the men from the boys, and yes that goes for females as well. They would be involved, and why wouldnt they?? They are in the fight. I know of two females that do exactly what the males do over here(Iraq), and sometimes they do it better than us. And no, they are not ugly or lesbian, and they wouldnt give a spinless American man a single glance because they have standards. I hate it when people complain about how the war is not going right, or my coffee is too hot, or the line at my favorite resteruant is to long, or my beer ir too warm. Or the sheets on my nice king size bed are too small or you run out of toilet paper, and you have to drive to the store to get more, or the hot water doesnt work. Whah!!!! How about being in Iraq for a few months?? I bet when you go home after 15 months of this life you wont complain about a thing. And the soldiers who have been here more than once or have been to “the middle east” more than once do have the right to complain about whatever they want, and no one else should. I say bring on the draft. I mean those who say dont, you know, the ones who complain about the war because they dont have to fight with the “real men and women” of this country, you know, the ones who instill our freedoms, and who die for those who complain about the sun being to hot at the baseball game today. Let them taste this life for a few months. Senator Bidens son may have to go to Iraq…oh well. Am I supposed to cry for him now. I have been here twice. Hell, I even gave him advise. He can call my family and they can tell him the best way to talk to him on a daily basis if he wants. What he should be doing os praying his son doesnt end up in the really bad places over here. I know guys who get DIRECT fire almost 24 hours a day, and that unit has lost a soldier almost everyday. But I digress…I think that when you turn 18 you should go throught basic training, and serve atleast 3 years in the military. In Germany if you are a male thats what you do, otherwise you go to prison. Does that country have any bums?? Nope. I was stationed there for four years. And I wish I could go back. We are not going to leave this place for along time, so get used to it America. Its Korea part II.
Posted by: soldier boy | August 15, 2007, 8:32 pm 8:32 pm
I know many soldiers; Army, Navy and Air Force personnel that have been deployed several times to the Middle East and other places. All are young people, my son’s and daughter’s age, and most of them come from good families. It is incredibly uninformed to say that these young people are “hard-core unemployed” or to imply that they are anything less than stand-up citizens. Our son, an Army Ranger, did not like going to school and told me in his junior year that he planned to join the Army. He did well in school and after graduation, he joined up. I met alot of soldiers and their families, and I can tell you that even though some were less fortunate than my family, all are good, honest people. Parents range from college professors, crane operators, telephone workers, policemen to farmers and housewives that are the families of todays volunteer army. Some soldiers joined, I’m sure, because they had issues at home; but from all the people in the Armed Forces that I have met, I can tell you that they are all fine young men and women that have responded to some higher calling. I never served. Viet Nam was my war and I was against it. Our sons and daughters recognize this “War on Terror” as their war and unlike Nam, they step up and volunteer. So before any of you begin to rant about how wrong everything is (a 26 yr. old Spec. Ops Capt. who retuned from Afghanistan recently, called it “The Gates of Hell”) with the “losers” that join the military, remind yourself that without them we may all be leading very different lives right now.
Posted by: Doug Garbs | August 16, 2007, 8:45 am 8:45 am
As a retired Army veteran (23 years) and 2 time Vietnam vet, I could write chapters about the military etc.. But suffice it to say that I personally believe that not only should they bring back the Draft immediately, they never should have stopped it in the first place. Aside from the fact that serving your Country that is the greatest on earth, it also (for the most part) makes men and women that become responsible citizens later in life. I was not a draftee, but I wasn’t much more than a Chicago thug when I joined. In fact my Platoon Sergeant always called me “Hood” and not by my name. He was right, but in 8 weeks of “real” training where they were allowed to slap the crap out of you for mouthing off, I learned a lot of lessons the hard way. Now it’s nothing more than a bunch of sissies crying for mamma when they get yelled at by the Drill Sergeant. Be that as it may, the Draft would certainly rid our society of the criminals and deadbeats that permeate our cities and communities. Not so much by just putting them in a uniform and being a target for some terrorist, but by training them and developing their charater so that they become decent folks and make a positive contribution to society when they leave the military.
I was a high school dropout and joined at 17 basically to stay out of jail. In the Army, I went to College, numerous service schools and then retired, using my training and skills to earn a six figure income annually. So is the Draft a viable endeaver for our Country…absolutely YES! Git’ R Done!
Posted by: Tom | August 16, 2007, 11:44 am 11:44 am
As someone who has had the experience of having to deal first hand with the military, US, UN, FISA and unknown forgein interests,There is a complete deficeit in not only the lack of training, but the lack of coordinating efforts, personnel, funds and of course the actual mission. I think that its impossible in a covert setting to properly identify those persons involved and why they are in the conflict. I disagree with FABRICATING military ops of conflict in the middle of a real conflict situation. I think that tatic has lead to many unncessary casualties and seriously impaired the integreity of the operations and the operatives used. IF NO ONE Can tell the good guys from the bad guys. .I would say the CIA or former CIA operatives are busy underminding the entire war effort and its a shameful disgrace for the abuse of needed informants and the saftey of by standers. I think the US and others went overboard BEING TERRORIST themselves and as a result CONFUSED THE COVERED FOR THE REAL ONES who were lost in the mess they made.
I LIVE IT EVERYDAY AS A CIVILIAN..
What a MESS.. WHY WOULD YOU POSE AS SOMETHING YOU CAME OUT TO STOP? ITS SHAMEFUL AND DISGUSTING..
Ask me. Im the NATIONAL SHAME
Pam IL
Posted by: Pam Toll | August 16, 2007, 2:58 pm 2:58 pm
Nice to see so many who fail to notice the lie to war by the commander guy whose regime planned the iraq war before 911. The military shill having been weaned on republican goo for so long is having trouble explaining this away but they are patriotically trying and bless them for that effort. Now about that Gen.Kensinger chap who is “avoiding service” on a congressional subpoena because he can’t perform under oath…would this represent the modern military leader under Gen.Caseys’ guidance????? Before the draft, we should let the felons and gangbangers and foreign mercenaries and the aryan nation chaps show their military mettle before we go for the regular grunts we used to pack up and ship off to die for the rich cats…
Posted by: bushbaby | August 16, 2007, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
Of course wars are tough on armies. But imagine how tough this war is on Al Queda. Do they have enough people left to get up a ball game?
William Tecumpseh Sherman noted that during the War of the Rebellion the US had tried every means known to raise manpower. Conscription, volunteers, and bought substitutes. The volunteers were by far the best. Further it would be better to raise the wages of the experienced soldiers rather than to raise new men and new units with extravgant bounties and bonuses.
The US lost over 620,000 men in that war, with several hundred thousand more lost to the armies of the so called “Confederacy”. During WWII we lost over 295,000 men, over 9 thousand a month! And now, with the US numbering over 300 million, it is asserted that we can not withstand a few thousand? That sounds like an outright lie, offered by those who would profit from treason.
Is there an alternative to lies and treason that would explain such a position?
Posted by: Donmeaker | August 18, 2007, 12:16 am 12:16 am