Then say good-bye to your children, American parents.
"Report casts doubt on military's readiness; Strains from long, repeated tours are cited" by Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press | February 20, 2009
WASHINGTON - For the third consecutive year, a classified Pentagon assessment has concluded there is a significant risk that the US military could not respond quickly and fully to any new crisis, the Associated Press has learned.
The latest risk assessment, drawn up by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, comes despite recent security gains in Iraq and plans for troop cuts there. The assessment finds that the United States continues to face persistent terrorist threats, and the military is still stretched and strained from long and repeated tours to the warfront....
Just splendid that "Al-CIA-Duh" and other "terrorists" are ALL GOVERNMENT CREATED, FUNDED and DIRECTED GROUPS, huh?
This year's assessment finds many of the same global security issues as previous years - ranging from terrorist organizations and unstable governments to the potential for high-tech cyber attacks. It also reflects the Pentagon's ongoing struggle to maintain a military that can respond to threats from other countries, while honing newer counterinsurgency techniques to battle more unconventional dangers, such as suicide bombers and lethal roadside bombs.
Translation: it's the same old propagandistic war shit.
Daniel Goure, vice president of the Lexington Institute, a military policy research group in Arlington, Va.:
"This is a chairman who looks around the world and sees - right now, today - immediate, near-term problems like North Korea, the larger questions of Pakistan and its future, Iran and what is going on there, Russia and Georgia, Venezuela, which has a close relationship with Russia and is buying arms all over the place, and Cuba."
And I SEE a WWIII, don't you, America? Notice how he left Afghanistan and Iraq out? Must be because U.S. is already occupying them, huh?
While officials are preparing to reduce troop levels in Iraq, they are increasing their forces in Afghanistan - giving troops little break from their battlefield tours....
One senior military official said that while there have been security gains in Iraq, military units leaving there have been sapped by repeated war tours that have also battered their equipment and vehicles. It will take time to restore the force and repair or replace the equipment. In other cases, equipment has been left in Iraq for use by the steadily growing Iraqi security forces....
Translation: MORE MONEY will need to be poured into the MILITARY MACHINE!
Last year, Gates listed increased intelligence gathering as a key need to address military shortfalls. Since then, the Pentagon has steadily increased its inventory of unmanned aircraft, boosting the number of 24-hour unmanned air patrols over the Iraq and Afghanistan battlefront from 24 to 33.
Yeah, it is JUST GREAT that we have MORE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT MISSILING INNOCENT PEOPLE who NEVER DID ANYTHING TO US!!!!!
--more--"
And if Amerika's army becomes decimated and depleted?
That's what nuclear bombs are for.
