Casey: "No Reason To Doubt" Army Captain Cited By Obama

In a debate last Thursday, Barack Obama told a story about an Army captain in Afghanistan who said his platoon was short on supplies and manpower.

"They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief," Obama said.

The Pentagon denied the account, and Republican Sen. John Warner sent Obama a letter demanding the captain's name so the situation could be investigated. (The Obama campaign, citing the captain's privacy, refused to release it.)

Now Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey, who was testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he has "no reason to doubt" the account, according to the Associated Press. He did question the notion than any shortages would have kept soldiers from fulfilling their mission, however.

"This was 2003 and 2004, almost four and a half years ago," Casey said. "We acknowledge and all worked together to correct the deficiencies that we saw in that period, not only in Afghanistan but in Iraq. It was a period that we worked our way through."

Casey said the Army hasn't tried to seek the captain out, the AP notes, though he said he did contact the platoon's brigade commander.

"There may have been some spot shortages in spare parts and ammunition," he said. "But the commander said that there were never a shortage of ammunition that impacted the units ability to accomplish its mission."