Stress from 2 wars grows
By Tom Vanden Brook
USA Today
WASHINGTON — The stress of repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan is beginning to show in the declining quality of Army recruits, retention of midlevel officers, desertions and other factors such as suicide, the Army's top general said.
Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, said his primary concern is the loss of captains. The Army invests about 10 years to develop them. An effort in the fall of 2007 to entice 14,000 of them to extend their commitments fell short by about 1,300, he said.
"People aren't designed to be exposed to the horrors of combat repeatedly, and it wears on them," Casey said Tuesday. "There's no question about that."
Casey commanded U.S. troops in Iraq from 2004 to 2007. Since taking the Army's top post, he has spoken about the stress of repeated deployments. He highlighted some trends that show deepening strains.
Among the concerns:
"Right now, it's more important for us to grow the force rapidly," Casey said. "To take some pressure off the force, we can accept some minor degradation in quality."
He maintained that the Army, while stressed, is resilient and able to meet its commitments. "It's not broken; it's not hollow," he said.
Returning to 12-month deployments, which he said is possible by summer, will help alleviate some of the strain. The "surge" of 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq that began early last year required 15-month tours.
Casey also said that the 1,000 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles sent to Iraq since October have performed well. One soldier has been killed in about 25 attacks on the vehicles, which are designed to deflect the force of roadside bombs.
