I think the real problem is not not enough troops but the fact we are trying to fight a politically correct war. Our hands are tied in many areas and we can't do what warfare is supposed to do, kill people and break things. One thing I heard from Bush last night is that the terms of engagement will be changed allowing for more proactive rather than merely reactive events. If we can go into an area because we strongly suspect it to be stronghold rather than waiting for an attack and then having the attackers hiding behind civilians then perhaps we can make even more headway.

I firmly believe that we must win this war in Iraq, we must not under any circumstances fail. Anyone who believes failure is an option has their head in the sand about what this war is really all about.

Nathan you're right. If we don't break things and kill the terrorist then they will break things, blow up and kill anyone they can get to. I guess it's only fair when it's the other guys????

We must finish this with Iraq as the winners.

AYFR,

As you said, every other combatant comander (EUCOM, NORHTCOM, etc) has a demand for troops and assets.....not to mention the entire military aparatus (Pentagon, JFCOM, etc). That is one reason for the lack of troops. But, the bigger reason I suspect is that there are limits (set by military doctrine) as to how long and how often someone can deploy. I don't know the exact numbers, but I wouldn't be surprised if only one-thrid to one-fourth of the combat units are elgible for deployment at any one time.

Bush Announces New Plan For Iraq
Stock Market Up Almost 100 Points

Coincidence?????

Umm, seems like acting like a leader and being decisive works for the market and the nation.

__________________
An informed voter scares the Goverment lackeys.

An American first and always a Conservative.

US Army 1977-2007

Go Sooners

I don't buy this argument because there are many things from the start of the war (the very first policies) that created these problems. This was the administration's choice that created the later problems we have now. The idea of the way the 'de-B'athifacation' plan was done was a disaster and we are still paying for that plan today. The great legacy that Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz left us. Many problems that this and other policies have created have to basically be undone before any 'winning' in Iraq is even thought of.

Thank you Storman, I was actually wanting to knw because I am ignorant in this area.
Thank you for the clarification.
So while we do have over 2 million troops counting reserves not all can be used at once.
Makes sense.

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If this was a war like WWII then all forces could be used without worrying about rotation in and out of combat. With the smaller military of today we have to give consideration for other possible fronts and at the same time rotate out troops from the combat zone. The National Guard can't be deployed for at least 18 months from the time they get back home. This doesn't help either, but then again the Guard wasn't desgined to be a full time force either.

__________________
An informed voter scares the Goverment lackeys.

An American first and always a Conservative.

US Army 1977-2007

Go Sooners

Does anyone recall the post of the list of countries in iraq I offered?
Well dahlings, you see, since the end of this year we lost italian troops, koreans and certainly the few others we had assisting our policing iraq.
So we DO need more troops to replace others on leave and convalescing.
The brits are reinforcing as well.
Everyone has been consistently warned that this war would not be short and sweet; Since the rube administration, I am tired of the mooreheads, ignorant retards evading the fact that an enemy exists.
The retards have infected our efforts and have bruised our determination and our goals.
Some people prefer to pay off thugs.
We have been fighting fanactical religious foreign aliens who have been infiltrating our country causing and planning death and destruction.
We absolutely cannot backout, evade or loose our ground.
However predictable and typical of liberals to neglect, resent and deny our military the proper arms and support during wartime, it is now a clear and fiercely evident fact an enemy exists and we must take them out.

Bushs speech revealed the US has learned something, we now understand our enemy and it took us awhile and alot of sacrefice, our blood, ceasing the stand and walking away would be a most degrading choice and a total insult to every soldier who sacreficed their lives for this principle, this fucking war.

__________________

"The world is a fine place and worth fighting for" Ernest Hemingway

"The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many" Spartan King Leonidas

WASHINGTON — Armchair generals and media critics aren't the only people whose comments are giving heartburn to administration officials defending the progress of the war with Iraq. The officials also face questions about their own remarks made before the fighting began.

Now, President Bush says the war will last "however long it takes."
By Kevin Lamarque, Reuters

Then, Vice President Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke optimistically in interviews and at briefings about the prospects that the war would be short, Iraqi resistance limited and Iraqi citizens welcoming.

Too bad Bush did not review a few history books and even understand the different sects and alliances in Iraq before creating a vacuum for iraqs enemies to fill.