Two new reports indicate that, under Bush, the Army is overstretched and under enormous strain. The National Guard and reserves have been weakened and we are experiencing numerous recruiting problems.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
An overstretched military undermines homeland security and our ability to meet threats around the world.
Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism have reduced the pace of military transformation and have revealed our lack of preparation for defensive and stability operations. This Administration has overextended our military.
Recruitment and retention are critical to sustain our Armed Forces with the best men and women willing to stand in the gap and make huge sacrifices to ensure our freedom.
We're in danger of breaking our army and preventing our national leaders from having the flexibility to confront not just Iraq and Afghanistan, but crises around the globe.
America is militarily overstretched, politically polarized and financially indebted.
We have already seen evidence that, notwithstanding the addition of substantial resources, we are experiencing great stress in recruiting and not inconsequential retention problems.
The crises in North Korea, Iran, the Middle East, show how quickly things can change and how they can go wrong. We must be prepared. And right now the Army is not.
Before they deploy, they train for the specific operations, but there is a danger that the Army is not retaining the core of its full capabilities.
We need a defense budget that's big enough to sustain an increase in the size of the Army.
The U.S. military is not war weary. Our military draws strength from confronting our enemies when clear policy objectives are set and we are fully resourced for the fight.