Report: U.S. Military Readiness Worsens

Quick Response To Possible Third Crisis Unlikely Because Of Strains From Iraq And Afghanistan Wars

(AP)  Strained by the demands of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a significant risk that the U.S. military won't be able to quickly and fully respond to yet another crisis, according to a new report to Congress.

The assessment, done by the nation's top military officer, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, represents a worsening from a year ago, when that risk was rated as moderate.

The report is classified, but on Monday senior defense officials, speaking on condition on anonymity, confirmed the decline in overall military readiness. And a report that accompanied Pace's review concluded that while the Pentagon is working to improve its warfighting abilities, it "may take several years to reduce risk to acceptable levels."

Pace's report comes as the U.S. is increasing its forces in Iraq to quell escalating violence in Baghdad. And top military officials have consistently acknowledged that the repeated and lengthy deployments are straining the Army, Marine Corps and reserve forces and taking a heavy toll on critical warfighting equipment.

The review grades the military's ability to meet the demands of the nation's military strategy — which would include fighting the wars as well as being able to respond to any potential outbreaks in places such as North Korea, Iran, Lebanon, Cuba or China.

The latest review by Pace covers the military's status during 2006, but the readiness level has seesawed back and forth during the Iraq war. Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the risk levels are classified, said the risk for 2005 was moderate, but it was assessed as significant in 2004.

His assessment was submitted to Defense Secretary Robert Gates at the beginning of this year, and therefore does not reflect the latest move to pour 21,500 more troops into Iraq over the next few months.

Gates delivered Pace's assessment to Congress, along with a six-page report on steps the Pentagon is taking to address the problem —including new efforts to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps, and requests for more money to repair and replace equipment. On Monday, the Pentagon released most of Gates' report, except for a few sections that were classified as secret.

That report concluded that "world events and regional trends add up to increased challenges to our nation's security." And it said the decline in readiness is also affected by whether other federal agencies and other nations are fulfilling their commitments.

There have been long-standing complaints that the State Department has not met its responsibilities in Iraq, particularly in reconstruction and rebuilding efforts, as well as buttressing the political development of the Iraqi government.

In his report, Gates also discussed efforts to repair and replace equipment worn out in combat, beef up recruiting and retention, and make better use of the National Guard and reserve forces. It also details how the Pentagon will use billions of dollars in the proposed budget, including plans to modernize aircraft and weapons, develop better detection and countermeasures for weapons of mass destruction, increase the size of the special operations forces, and boost the nation's missile defense.

[musty2u]

Where is the 600 ship navy goal? We need leadership like that we had with Ronald Reagan. Wearing out our equipment and our forces thin is a prescription for disaster. *** the tax cuts! We need to build our army. Double, triple, and beyond. Yes, I am a hawk, but, I am a hawk with a vision of a strong nation that is to be feared by the whole world.

[us_infidel]

This report is a "cherry picked" CBS hit job. There's nothing wrong with the active duty military. Since the 80's the bulk of forces began shifting from active duty to reserves and national guard.

There has alwasy been a problem with these forces measuring up to active duty standards. They only train 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year.

I would withhold judgement on this report until you know the full scope and context.

[manwar02]

Bush has 'started the end of US supremacy'. This is something Bin Laden wished to do but was not able to.

[grumpas]

For those neocon's writing comments here: Why do we need a bigger military????? To meet the global threat of terrorism????? Grow up! You are never going to defeat terrorism this way! Maybe if we had a President who was bright enough to find his way out of a wet paper bag we wouldn't be trying to fight terrorism with the military!!!! Terrorism isn't ever going to be defeated by the military! The way Bush is going about trying to combat terrorism is only fueling it! Terrorist's is a whole lot like the Mafia used to be! A clandestine organization of loosely knit people that does it's dirty work in secret! They are fueled by fanatical religious ideology! They are secretive about their plans and no doubt cohorts! The only possible way it is ever going to be beat is the way law enforcement did it in the 80's surveylance, following the money, intelligence, legal wiretaps, information from informants and etc. The way Bush is going about it is only creating a global mess! We are knee deep in a civil war in Iraq that is growing by the day! There is no way any large amount of troops is going to solve the problem! Hitler had the same problem during the second world war! Every country he occuptied forming their own underground that fought Hitler every step of the way! They did as much to bring Hitler down as troops did! Use your brain instead of listening to Bush's propaganda!

[musty2u]

The large military is to keep the outside swizzle-sticks in line. As to inside our borders, I am afraid the liberals are not ging to be happy with my proposals there.

[bluestardad]

President Bush is holding Hostage all the America Troops in the Iraq War Theater by indicating that if Congress Cuts funding for the His Iraq War Plan he will leave the troops over there anyway without supplies and equipment they need, instead of bringing them home. Is that anything other than kidnapping or hostage taking? Supporting the Troops does not mean Supporting the War in Iraq or the Bush Idea of the War in Iraq! There is a difference! It is bad enough that the Bush Administration sent the troops to Iraq on false pretences, ill equipped and ill prepared with no end game plan. The Rovian spin of a Congressional Vote against the Bush Iraq war scenario is a vote against the Troops just validates the Bush Administration resolve to Hold the Military Troops Hostage to his Iraq war plan regardless of the will of America and its elected representatives.

Bush is playing all of us against each other! In one hand he is touting the Red White and Blue war on Terror against everyone who attacked us on 911 and on the other hand he is funding Al Qaeda to destabilize other governments in the Middle East! Here is the stream read it yourself!

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/070305fa_fact_hersh

Just copy up to the Hersh on the news stream this web site is adding a n on the end of the paste!

SO DO SOMETHING EXCEPT SIT ON THE COMPUTER AN COMPLAIN! Write Congress Now! //www.visi.com/juan/congress/

[clestes-2009]

Good going Bush. Thanks to your bumbling, ineffective foreign policy of invading countries that offer no threat to the US, you have managed to make the US MORE vunerable to attacks. Instead of being safer, US citizens are more at risk for attacks.

This is exactly opposite of what you were suppose to be doing. Of course you won't admit that your stupidity has led us to the current state of military overload and strained foreign relations. Oh no, according to you, the US is safer today. Let no clue of the truth enter into your world! Why, that might cause your fantasy to unravel.

Hell, you think the US would be even more safe if we invaded Iran! Let's take our already exhausted military and have them attack a fresh army (News alert here! Iran is not Iraq. Iran's army is in much better shape than Iraq's) and by doing so, unite the Arab world against us and Israel.

You think we are safe now, just wait. Bring on the Iranians you stupid *** and we'll be 10 times safer.

[olebd]

And many thanks to all the media for releasing this story for the benefit of our adversaries.

[gunnerv1]

Our Military was not designed to fight in more than two (2) theaters of combat at the same time . So this is a non-news story that someone is just trying to stir the pot with.

[skyk-2009]

And many thanks to all the media for releasing this story for the benefit of our adversaries.
Posted by olebd at 11:43 AM : Feb 27, 2007

YOU think WE the People shouldn't know this? Look you clowns have defended this INCOMPETENT LOSER and his Administration and you are putting the safety of this nation at risk. HE's INCOMPETENT even a 6 year old can see that.

[skyk-2009]

There has alwasy been a problem with these forces measuring up to active duty standards. They only train 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year.

I would withhold judgement on this report until you know the full scope and context.
Posted by US_Infidel at 09:36 AM : Feb 27, 2007

Man! Talk about denial!! You are turly a classic case. Love that PARTY don't you? ROFLMAO Go down with the ship and all huh? ROFLMAO It's not going to change... INCOMPETENCE never does. Sir Lies-A-Lot will be just as incompetent TOMORROW as he was yesterday... you can count on it. ROFLMAO.

[skyk-2009]

They did as much to bring Hitler down as troops did! Use your brain instead of listening to Bush's propaganda!
Posted by grumpas at 10:42 AM : Feb 27, 2007

Great post!! Thank you!

[skyk-2009]

Our Military was not designed to fight in more than two (2) theaters of combat at the same time . So this is a non-news story that someone is just trying to stir the pot with.
Posted by gunnerv1 at 11:54 AM : Feb 27, 2007


Our Military was not designed to fight when the mission changes every other day. Our Military was not designed to be a Police Force. Our Military was not designed to fight carrying and Incompetent Sleaze Bag like Bush on it's back. End of story.

[randalds]

Bush is succeeding in doing something no enemy has been able to do, make our US military impotent. Through stupidity and incompetence he is slowly taking our military apart and destroying it. Not too surprising considering his vice-president (and puppet string puller) never served in the military and that he himself spent Vietnam commanding a bar stool in Texas.

[olebd]

Excellent post RandalDS - My sediments exactly.

[sclaires]

The US Army went down when the draft was ended. They started getting people who could not get a job and figured the military was the way to go. Then they let the military down-size which did not help either. So, now they have a bunch of incompentent people running it. And I mean from the Commander-in-Chief on down. I could see the army going down when I was working for it and it is even more worse off. The Reserves and National Guard might train 2 days a month and 2 weeks a year but they are better then the current army. They are motivated to do the job while a lot of the active duty ones are not. Look at what has been going on at Walter Reed and the VA. There you will see incompentence at it's best.

[homespunlady]

bluestardad Thankyou for the referenced article. It's not an easy read but is excellent.
I look at the region and ask who's really pulling the strings. Every time it comes up Saudi. Too many connections ther between the ruling elite there and here. Every time oil slips in price the fires of war are stoked by our administration. OPEC (led by the Saudis)had threatened to cut back production unless the price went up. Bin Laden was a windfall for his family's country -Saudi.

[david1737]

Yet another example of how Bush's failure in Iraq has made the world much more dangerous.