Top General: Army Near Breaking Point

Chief Of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker Says Army 'Will Break' Without Thousands More Troops

(CBS/AP)  As President Bush weighed new strategies for Iraq, the Army's top general warned Thursday that his force "will break" without thousands more active duty troops and greater use of the reserves.

Noting the strain put on the force by operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the global war on terrorism, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker said he wants to grow his half-million-member Army beyond the 30,000 troops already added in recent years.

Though he didn't give an exact number, he said it would take significant time and commitment by the nation, noting some 6,000 to 7,000 soldiers could be added per year.

But as CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports, increasing the size of the Army might not help any time soon. It would take a full year to recruit and train 6,000 new troops.

Officials also need greater authority to tap into the National Guard and Reserve, a force once set up as a strategic reserve but now needed as an integral part of the nation's deployed forces, Schoomaker told a commission studying possible changes in those two forces.

"Over the last five years, the sustained strategic demand ... is placing a strain on the Army's all-volunteer force," Schoomaker told the commission in a Capitol Hill hearing.

"At his pace ... we will break the active component" unless reserves can be called up more to help, Schoomaker said.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Schoomaker said Gen. George Casey, the top commander in Iraq, is looking at several options in Iraq, including shifting many troops from combat to training Iraqi units. Schoomaker said that while ground commanders assess their options, the military is more interested in getting the Iraqi security forces up to speed than sending more U.S. troops.

"Focus less on trainers," he said, and more on "how we generate Iraqi output."

The Army in recent days has been looking at how many additional troops could be sent to Iraq, if the president decides a surge in forces would be helpful. But, officials say, only about 10,000 to 15,000 troops could be sent and an end to the war would have to be in sight because it would drain the pool of available soldiers for combat.

"We would not surge without a purpose," Schoomaker told reporters. "And that purpose should be measurable."

Schoomaker's comments come as Mr. Bush reviews options for the foundering Iraq war, including suggestions he send more U.S. troops to the increasingly violent country and accelerate the training of Iraq's own security forces.

A senior military officer directly involved in the deliberations over the new strategy told Martin there "probably" will be a surge of U.S. troops into Iraq in an attempt to keep the lid on violence in Baghdad.

But he ruled out a massive buildup of combat forces, adding, "The Iraqis would never stand for that."

On Wednesday, Mr. Bush said he's "not going to be rushed" into a decision on a strategy change for Iraq.

Mr. Bush made it clear he will not map out a new war strategy until his new Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, has taken over and offered his counsel. And that new plan, he said, will not include giving up.

"The stakes are too high and the consequences too grave to turn Iraq over to extremists who want to do the American people and the Iraqi people harm," Mr. Bush said after a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Gates.

[randalds]

This is a shock? The Bush administration should never have fought a war of conquest in the first place. As Americans we're not good at being an invading army for no other reason then pure theft. We fight wars against worldwide evil, no a pipsqueak dictator who was no threat to us, but had the audacity to be sitting on "our" oil. And we're certainly no good at with this bozo the clown in the White House. That said, once they decided on this suicidal path, try tried to do it on the cheap. We didn't send in nearly enough troops because these idiot neocons actually believed we'd be greet as heroes with flowers and song! Now THAT was stupid! Then when it fell apart they were too stubborn to admit their screw up until now when it's too late. In the Air Force we had a word for this. Clusterf*uck!

[frankly6]

For all those who still support this war, it's time you call for a draft to fight it and a tax increase to pay for it. Right now were sending the children of the poor to fight it and borrowing money from China to fight it. If this is a worthy endeavor then all Americans shoulc share in the sacrifice.

[frankly6]

For all those who still support this war.

It's time you call for a draft to fight it and a tax increase to pay for it. Right now were sending the children of the poor to fight it and borrowing money from China to pay for it. If this is a worthy endeavor then all Americans should share equally in the sacrifice.

[bluestardad]

We need a larger military but do not need to be in Iraq.

[randalds]

We do need a larger military, I sure agree with that. We let it get too small thinking we could make up for manpower with technology, which left us unprepared to fight an extended war. poor planning on the part of a couple of different administrations, both democrat and republican.

[bluestardad]

Remember all the Reduction in force RIF in the 80s. GOOD men were put out of the army of all ranks. Now they are telling their children to have uncle sam stick it where the sun don't shine.

[randalds]

I do remember, we went through the same thing in the 70's after Saigon fell. Lots of good troops were essentially just let go. Tech just can not replace boots on the ground and we're learning a bloody lesson of that right now.

[vancouverboo]

Do the Chinese have enough dollars to lend us this much? How much interest will our great grandchildren have to pay?

[sim828524s]

OK, take it easy people. Nothing can beat technology.

However, I don't care what Bush says. He must withdrawal the troops immediately, and give this destiny back to the Iraqi government.

They need to take over from here, and I'm pretty certain they want to.

[randalds]

I disagree, sometimes only boots on the ground will do. Tech is great, but we've become too dependent on it. That said, if we do increase the size of our military it'd better not be to send more people into die in the worthless cause of Iraq.

[fascistusa]

Per chance there are any Patriotic Americans who actually care that our US Military is being destroyed by the Fascists in Power?

Anyone?

You are watching the Youth being butchered.

Go back to your previously scheduled materialism.

Don't worry as Rome Burns.

[sim828524s]

Adding more troops to Iraq is out of the question.
It doesn%u2019t work. An immediate withdrawal is paramount.

We sent thousands upon thousands of troops in Vietnam. We hit them with everything we had, and still they kept comming. The soviets did the same with Afganistan. The numbers just don't work.

More is not an answer.

[Syndicate]

Pay them what your freedom is worth and you will have no recruiting problems.

[frankly6]

If this is a Civil War, is there anything we can do militarily to improve the situation?

[frankly6]

For all those who still support this war.

It's time you call for a draft to fight it and a tax increase to pay for it. Right now were sending the children of the poor to fight it and borrowing money from China to pay for it. If this is a worthy endeavor then all Americans should share equally in the sacrifice.

[clestes-2009]

You ain't getting my son, general.

[heetseeker]

frankly6

I agree it would certainly resolve the troop supply & rotation... I wonder why the administration does not want to do it..... political suicide perhaps?

[edjohn66]

Why every man and woman in our armed forces isn't clammoring for Bush's impeachment, I'll never understand. How much more can their noble efforts and heroic sacrifices be squandered by incompetence before they demand a change?

I thought "bring it on" and "you go to war with the army you have, not the army you want" was enough for a groundswell. But maybe attrition will change more minds than idiocy.

[heetseeker]

On Wednesday, Mr. Bush said he's "not going to be rushed" into a decision on a strategy change for Iraq.

Isn't it nice that people who are not sending their sons and daughters to their deaths have all the time in the world to make a decision.... 48 US troops dead in the first 14 days of December... based on the current trajectory the 3,000th service person will lose their life before the end of January...

Time is a luxury we do not have....

[finewoven]

Reading this article so many thoughts and questions come to mind.

1.President Bush broke it, now he owns it.
2.Is it really as bad as the press says it is, or is it just fine as Iraqi leaders suggest?
3.A Democracy created by hell-bent religious/political parties is not sustainable.
4.For the amount of money Americans spent on Iraq, don%u2019t we own it by now?
5.If President Bush doesn%u2019t own it, and we don%u2019t own it, does China own it?
6.At some point, if more American troops are sent, don%u2019t we jeopardize our own security here at home?
7.At what point do we stop sending military personnel, and just launching missiles?

[ceekuei]

If all the males and female members of the Bush and his cronies' families are required by law to serve in active combat in Iraq, the war is over by noon, and by evening the troops would be on their way home. Put the Bush twins there and things would be even faster. Bush and Cheney and draft dodgers who have sacrificed nothing for the country they so unabashedly claim to love. How much trust can you put both on them?

[tank611]

QUOTE:

'Isn't it nice that people who are not sending their sons and daughters to their deaths have all the time in the world to make a decision'

Congress had a vote and approved the war in Iraq. Congress is just as responsible as Bush. And at least one member of Congress,Joseph Biden,has a son serving in Iraq. So the people sending their sons and daughters to Iraq are making decisions about Iraq.

[randalds]

If we sent the Bush twins over there it'd be like a bad episode of that crappy show "The simple life". They'd be prancing around and giggling like the two little trust-fund brats that they are.

[rsoxfan1123]

Tank611-aren't you forgetting the fact that Bush told congress he had indisputable evidence that hussein had WMD (right after he claimed hussein was responsible for 9/11) in order to get them to vote for the invasion?

I understand the breaking point one can come to as I spent nearly three years of my life in that ****hole, I'd probably still be making regular deployments there if I had not retired. This was the reason for my retirement.(breaking point) 6 days after I retired my unit deployed once again for 120-160 days to go play in the sand box. If Bush is not careful he will begin to lose more of his troops either through retirement, separation or death

[kaiyo4u]

Since when did the Constitution state that we have to have an army? I recall a navy and a state regulated militia. Not a standing Army at the ready to quell anything corporate America deems fit to quell.

Iraq and Afghanistan is about nothing more than oil and keeping Russia and China out of the region.
Do you know that there is a pipeline deal that is being resumed in Afghanistan as a result of presence there?
The same for Iraq. Last summer, KBR said they were going to back out of the pipeline construction and repair in Iraq because they could not keep up with the repairs.

If you believe that we are there to promote Democracy, you should have your head examined. And quit letting the media and the government think for you.

[jimkun]

To attempt to answer the question from edjohn66:
Why every man and woman in our armed forces isn't clammoring for Bush's impeachment, I'll never understand. How much more can their noble efforts and heroic sacrifices be squandered by incompetence before they demand a change?

I remember seeing a survey not that long ago that over 90% of those serving in Iraq thought there was a link between Saddam and 9/11, whereas within the US population, it's still over 40%. At any rate, no wonder they still support what they are doing over there because they are still being deceived. Can you imagine though what they will feel when they come back home and realize that what the sacrifice they were making while over there was not for what they had been lead to believe?

[tibu987]

That generals want to increase the number of troops and equipment is the same as it has always been. It is how they propogate their positions, not unlike those in the business world. Make problems and then solve them and you are a hero.
This is the only decision they can make, think about it. If they suggest curtailing the amount of troops and the war goes badly, they will lose their power.
Simple, yes, but it has been a strategy for many years and not always successful.
There is another military procedure that says,
"retreat and cut our losses".
What do we lose by leaving Iraq. We will be saving many lives and stop ruining Iraq infrastructure.

[frankly6]

If this is a Civil War, as most now believe, is there anything we can do militarily to improve the situation?

frankly6 if you do some research you will find that a civil war can not be won militarily, this is why Bush does not want to call it that, because he would then have to pull his troops out because there would be no point

[mrthornman]

ncolsens:

Not sure I agree with your statement. Wasn't the U.S Civil War resolved militarily?

Regardless, I doubt Iraq has a military solution.

[mynameissam2]

Just wondering if any of you know what you are talking about? A friend of mine asked me to find out if any of you had anything to say other than I hate Bush. I obliged and now I'm here to see. Can you speak without mouthing off or are you to obscene for that idea to phase you? Ever heard of love your enemies? That's in the Bible, but insane liberals hate Jesus am I right?

I have seen one guy say he was in the military and that is extremely suspect. Why don't you go die for your cuontry? Is it because you hate Bush too much or because you know what you are talking about?

[randalds]

Ever heard of love your enemies? That's in the Bible, but insane liberals hate Jesus am I right?

Posted by mynameissam2 at 10:40 PM : Dec 14, 2006

I believe in love your neighbor, but they can only slap you and spit on you so many times before that changes to hate, which is why I hate Bush. I am a liberal, but I do not hate Jesus. He was no doubt a very wise man, but I don't believe in God, so I certainly can't believe he was the son of something I don't believe in. I have even read the bible. Cover to cover. A couple of times. And it never ceases to amaze me how many so-called Christians twist it's words and messages to fit their hate, fears and prejudices.

[mynameissam2]

Interesting that you attacked Christians when I am a Chrsitian who gets incessantly attacked by other chrristians. How can you hate Bush and then not support his war based upon hate? You obviously didn't support the war before you hated Bush so why do you not support the war?

So far I have been called a bigot for supporting Jews as if the world could have known that people in the muslim world would hate israel except if it was for religious reasons of whatever. But for this I am called a bigot. The obvious answer to that is that Islam must be a religion of hate- instead you become hateful as a winter snow storm and explicitly state religion is a religion of hate. No one has the brains to recognize that.

I have been called a child molester and I saw a bunch of people mock the idea that war was evil and instead of answering my question whether war was evil laughed and said Bush and Cheney and myself are idiots. Interesting that no one knows that war is bad and that is why you fight it to win.

[feelfree1]

Re: "Top General: Army Near Breaking Point"

Translation- Our Army is broken.

[mynameissam2]

I don't want to be too hard so I will say that whatever point you make that someone else can answer to is legitimate and fine. It is not fine to attack someone who I had to defend earlier though from a crazy person who calls me a child molester. My friend put me up to it. Do better if this upsets you. If not then you just witnessed something you may not ever witness again because you run away from all the nice people in your lives. Good bye.

[mynameissam2]

I have to translate the last part. Say anything even anti-war stuff as long as it makes sense. Don't attack people it doesn't mean you know anything. There are enough murderers and nice old people in the world to understand this.

[randalds]

I have not attacked you or Christians and I have called no one a child molestor.

[randalds]

Oh and I hate the war and Bush equally as to me both are equally bad.

[mynameissam2]

I guess that's your opinion, but I already addressed that issue of hate and won't again.

[randalds]

Ummmmmmmmm..........ok............

[frankly6]

If this is a civil war, as most now believe it is, is their really anything we can do to improve the situations militarily?

[randalds]

Nope, just get out. What Bush refers to derisively as "cut and run" is the only viable option he's left for us, unless we want to stay there indefinitely watching our troops die for nothing.

[annd2302]

To all those unfortunate and negative people: Like it or not (there is another triviality to that), George Bush is your elected official who holds the military rank of %u201CCommander and Chief%u201D. Now, if you are so cowardly as to express hate, intense hostility and great animosity toward the commander, shame on you as an American. Fight the wars, uphold the laws of the land, do the right thing and in the end, we will win in the correct manner and regain America as the great nation we have been for years. So many negative remarks. Start talking in the %u201CPOSITIVE%u201D and just maybe things will become positive. And might you also, love this nation for what it is, what it stands for and for what it will be when this is over. Make a difference, don%u2019t be so negative.

[mh4cbs1]

Randahl:

Are you some kind of liberal softie who likes peace better than war? Don't you have the stomach for War, like Cheney likes to say? Do you like the terrorists better than your fellow citizens of the USofA?

Only a few hundred thousand Iraqis have died so far, so whats the big deal. In the Vietnam War we killed about 2 million, dropped more bombs than in all of World War II. So why are all you liberals crying about Iraq?

Iraq War has only cost us $350 Billion so far. And the money goes to our US corporations who make big profits on War, so the stock market rises and makes us rich! Plus after all the Iraqis get killed the Oil will be just sitting there waiting for us to take it.

So Bush will NEVER leave Iraq. If you liberals would just stop worrying so much about all the death and destruction, and think long term, you would realize that the Iraq War is a great deal (except if you are one of those middle class suckers who couldn't afford tuition so had to join the army and go to Iraq -- Bush is great with all the patriotism and hero stuff, it also helps recruitment)

So be patient, like Bush. Ultimately we will win the Oil and stay in Iraq, and profit enormously.

[mh4cbs1]

annd3202:

I agree! We must think postive! Lets think about the Oil we will end up with, and Not about the 3,000 US troops that died, or the hundred thousand dead Iraqis. Or that it may end up costing $1 Trillion Dollars before it is over. So negative!

Also, I hate it when people say stuff like Bush lied us into this War. Of course he did, but how else can he do the right thing! He is our President, we need to obey him in a time of War. Liberals should stop whining, stop debating the issues, and just accept what their president does without question. Its the American Way.

[randalds]

OK I'll talk positive. I am positive that Bush is a mental midget and a complete and utter as*shole. I am positive he has led us into an insane war of choice simply because he is a puppet of the neocons who want to control the world oil markets and, on a personal level for him, to try to show daddy that he's not the family fu*ck up like everyone has treated him all of his life (of course he is though). I am also positive that along with being the commander in chief, Bush is also a civilian government employee who answers to his 300 million bosses, the people of the US. He is not a king or dictator and he has no special above the law powers. I am positive that under the law and the Constitution of the United States of America he takes orders from us, we do not take orders from him. I am also positive that I am a war veteran, who also loves peace a lot more then war. In fact no one hates war more then a veteran.

[randalds]

Oh and no I do not like the terrorists more then my fellow Americans, but I am positive I like them a whole hell of a lot more the Cheney or Bush, neither of whom had the stomach for war as both were gutless cowards during Vietnam and still are to this day.

[weeyummy]

as an outsider to the USA, (I live in Canada), i can see the unhappiness of the American Public with regards to your President. as for your men and women in Iraq, it is hard for me to truly believe that the leaders of your country, both civilian and military could not see the possibility of the insurgency that is now happening. no one really wants war - that is, if they are a thinking people with a brain. however, war has always been part of our mindset. maybe you can change the mindset of the terrorists so we do not have to fight wars in countries where people do not want us. there have been constant battles in the middle east regardless of who or who not is there. it is part of their history. i felt that after the Americans had caputered Hussein, they would have then left Iraq. you cannot occupy a nation that is used to conflict and dictatorship and expect to be welcomed with open arms. time to get a grip on reality, Mr President and administrators and bring your people home.

[fascistusa]

America is a Fascist Nation controlled by Corporate Monopolies.

Why are we even still in Iraq? Oh, yeah. We The People have absolutely NO SAY IN OUR GOVERNMENT.

mh4cbs1:

Are you absolutely insane or making a bad joke?