How to Destroy an Army
U.S. commanders in Iraq are rejecting a recommendation by Army mental health experts that troops receive a one-month break for every three months in a combat zone, despite unprecedented levels of continuous fighting and worsening risks of mental stress.
Instead, commanders are trying to give troops two to three days inside heavily fortified bases after about eight days in the field, said Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, chief aide to the ground forces commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno.
"We would never get the job done … if we went out for three months and came back" for one, Anderson said.
U.S. forces in Iraq spend more time in combat without a break than those who fought in Vietnam or World War II, according to Army psychologists who studied troops in Iraq.
Of course, anyone who has been in a high stress position can tell you that taking a couple of days off does nothing for your stress levels. It takes several days out of the stressful environment before the mind starts readjusting to a lower stress level. The proposed solution given by the commanders is useless, and I'm betting they know it.
Of course, the mental health of the soldiers isn't their priority, its keeping the mission functional for as long as possible, or at least into the next President's term.
As usual with this administration, the story is even worse than it appears:
The Army is considering whether it will have to extend the combat tours of troops in Iraq (again) if President Bush opts to maintain the recent buildup of forces through spring 2008.
Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren testified Tuesday that the service is reviewing other options, including relying more heavily on Army reservists or Navy and Air Force personnel, so as not to put more pressure on a stretched active-duty force.
Most soldiers spend 15 months in combat with a guaranteed 12 months home, a rotation plan that already has infuriated Democrats because it exceeds the service's goal of giving troops equal time home as in combat. In coming weeks, the Senate will vote on a proposal by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., that would restrict deployments.
"It's too early to look into the next year, but for the Army we have to begin to plan," Geren told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We have to look into our options."
