Experts: Not a single Army Combat team left ready to deploy

[aquafin]

This is freaking wonderful.No wonder Iran can run around building nukes and starting wars... and why Kim Jong's mouth exceeds the size of Texas.
It's because WE CAN DO NOTHING. Zilch .Nada.
I freaking hope Osama doesn't read this crap, because now he knows we have nothing.
That bastard is sitting in some cave laughing his ass off on how he 'bankrupted the superpower .
you guys don't understand this, to the level that needs to be understood.
One of the reasons Israel has been getting it's ass handed to them by 200 rag tag terrorists is because the US has no support to offer.
The Reason China could now invade Tawian... is because ... guess what.. we have nothing to stop them.
The Reason Iran can turn the entire middle east into a cesspit is guess what guys.we have nothing to stop them.
Thank you for Iraq Bush. if you freaking sent OUR army into Afganistain. got Osama. and left. we would NEVER have this problem..
Instead we send in an 'army' (actually a police force 1/4th the size of the NYPD to invade an entire nation that the soviets lost in with their whole army) and then Invade a country that had NOTHING to do with 9/11.
This in turn drained whatever resources we had... and here we are guys..
with 300% inflation in gas prices and nothing left in terms of Armed forces.And ...Deleted by CalHunter... continue to support him.
We lost more people in Iraq than we did during 9/11 .. we have 150,000 troops devoted to Iraq .. but for the war on terror we devoted a force the size of Warwickshire Police Department..We are freaking bankrupt and does anyone have any china change laying around..China is now the most dominant country in the world thanks to ...Deleted by CalHunter.......Once a ...Deleted by CalHunter... allways a ...Deleted by CalHunter.....He can't do anything right...






group of national security experts formed by Democratic leadership has reported to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) that, "there is not a single non-deployed Army Brigade Combat Team in the United States that is ready to deploy," RAW STORY has learned.

"The bottom line," the group concludes in a letter to Democratic leadership, "is that our Army currently has no ready, strategic reserve."

The letter, as acquired by RAW STORY, follows:
#

August 1, 2006

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Democratic Leader United States House of Representatives The Capitol Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Harry Reid Democratic Leader United States Senate The Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Leader Pelosi and Leader Reid:

We are writing to express our deep concern about the U.S. Army's current state of readiness and to urge you to take immediate action to address this urgent problem. We have recently learned that:

* Two thirds of the Army's operating force, active and reserve, is now reporting in as unready.
* There is not a single non-deployed Army Brigade Combat Team in the United States that is ready to deploy.

The bottom line is that our Army currently has no ready, strategic reserve. Not since the Vietnam era and its aftermath has the Army's readiness been so degraded.

This is particularly dangerous at a time when the United States is engaged in a global effort to counter terrorism and is facing numerous crises in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iran and North Korea. The lack of a ready strategic reserve in our Army weakens our ability to deter undesired actions by these nations, as well as our ability to respond effectively to such actions.

This degraded readiness condition stems from the heavy deployment of combat forces the Army has sustained these past four years. Predictably, this has resulted in accelerated wearout of large quantities of Army equipment, disruptions in training schedules, and strains on meeting recruitment and reenlistment goals. We called attention to this looming problem in an earlier report, "The US Military: Under Strain and at Risk," January 2006, but that report was met with indifference and denial by the administration. This problem can no longer be denied.

Restoring the Army's readiness requires additional funding, but, inexplicably, the administration is underfunding the Army. It has not requested funding adequate to support the roles and missions envisioned for the Army by the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, nor has it provided adequate funding to support the operational demands being placed on the Army today. Remarkably, the Office of Management and Budget recently cut the Army's request for FY06 supplemental appropriations by $4.9 Billion, undermining the Army's efforts to "get well" after substantial equipment degradation and losses in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. We believe this constitutes a serious failure of civilian stewardship of the military.

The administration's willingness to put our nation at such strategic risk is deeply disturbing. And its failure to adequately support the soldiers who are risking their lives for this nation is unacceptable. The readiness degradation that has already occurred could lead to a downward spiral that will take years to correct unless promptly addressed. Under these conditions, it is important for the Congress to step forward to exercise its oversight responsibilities for equipping and training the Armed Services.

Therefore, we call on you to take all necessary steps to address this situation on an urgent basis, including increasing funding to restore the Army's readiness to the levels needed to safeguard this nation's interests at home and abroad. The most immediate opportunity is the FY07 defense appropriations bill that will soon come to the floor of the Senate. We urge you to offer an amendment to increase funding to address the Army's readiness shortfalls. We also suggest that the Armed Services Committees hold hearings to determine the full depth of the readiness problems already manifested in the Army and possibly looming for the Marines.

Sincerely,

William J. Perry Chair, National Security Advisory Group

Madeleine K. Albright Graham T. Allison Samuel R. Berger Ashton B. Carter Wesley K. Clark Thomas E. Donilon Michele A. Flournoy John D. Podesta Susan E. Rice John M. Shalikashvili Wendy R. Sherman Elizabeth D. Sherwood-Randall James B. Steinberg


http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Experts_Not_single_Army_Combat_team_0801.html

[James B]

this one is beyond insane. We atre not stretched anywhere near that point. There are combat teams ready to go in my hometown right now.

[ButchA]

Hey Aquafin.... I've seen some of your posts in here and finally just had to reply.... Man, whatever you are on, could you stop Bogarting it and pass it around?!?

[C. Davis]

ORIGINAL: aquafin

group of national security experts formed by Democratic leadership has reported to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) that,.............

Comic Relief.

C. Davis

[HuntingEd]

Aqua - you know this means its time for you to volunteer! We need you!!!!!

You make all this crap bout how we cant stop anyone from doing anything, then when we do (i.e. Iraq) you complain about it. I bet if we went into Iran, and cleaned house you would be the first one to call Bush an idiot and that he has no right to do it.

Its funny cause you complete contradict yourself. You complain that we dont have the power to stop "evil" in the world. And then in the next breath complain because we are doing exactly that. Time to start thinking for yourself there aqua...

[Aught Six]

Not a single unit is ready to deploy? First off, that's an incredibly misleading statement. Second of all, it's coming from a group of desperate politicians who have shown themselves to cling to any assertion that they believe will give them the power they've lost through their own partisanship and incompetence.

OK, so two-thirds of the army aren't at C-1 deployment capability (the highest of four categories)? Combat brigades can and do still deploy, and improvize with what they have. These soldiers train and train and train before they even see the combat zone. Sure, the more training the better, but even at less than C-1, they still have training, leadership, discipline, and equipment that is far superior both strategically and tactically than any other regular or irregular military force we can meet on the battlefield.

And to hear these Democratic self-serving political hacks complain about funding?! Who again isit that wants to give money taxed from working Americans to those too fat, lazy, and/or stupid to pay their own bills rather than to the men and women busting their @#$&% in the scorching desert to keep terrorist groups disorganized and running for cover far from the homeland? Who is it thay decries everything that leaves the president's mouth, particularly in support of the hard work our nation's military is doing? This kind of BS politicking is disgusting to witness, and the farthest thingfrom sincere.

If they want to see all of our Army units at the highest state of readiness, that is absolutely great. I certainly encourage them toput theirfingers downand stop rantingabout how the war is bankrupting America. Instead, let's see them put their support behind the Commander-in-Chief and approve the proper appropriations necessary for the military to achieve optimum readiness for once in their lives.

[Aught Six]

And another thing regarding Iran and North Korea--we're dealing in diplomatic terms right now, just like your rubber-knee "give peacea chance" fruits would have us do in any and every case. Why are you complaining now all of the sudden? Oh, that's right...because you'd sell your non-existent souls for any chance to smear Bush....

You people are out to lunch, and America can see it plain and simple.

Now you claim that Israel is getting beaten by "200 terrorists"? First of all, their offensive is advancing, and against the military support of Iran and Syria. They are continuing to destroy Hezbollah strongholds, weapony, and personnel (that is, when Hezbollah doesn't tuck tail and head for cover in residential areas). Israelis die--it's been happening for thousands of years. But tell me again who's running away now?

In addition, China has been talking about invading Taiwan, since, oh...1949? Yet the Taiwanese Nationalists and a group of tough, smart, freedom-lovingpeople, and they have been the primary deterrent of an invasion from the mainland. Now, tell me: who again gave China "Most Favored Nation" status that helped jumpstart their once-failing economy?

Iran is a house of cards, and they know it. Sunnis can incite civil war that will spread to Tehran and topple the Shi'ite theocracy because the Middle East power structure all but collapsed after we took Bagdad. Every Arab country in the Middle East hates the mullahs and would love to destroy their influence over oil and commerce. Iranhas a piss-poor excuse for a military, and have reverted to the ever-popular diplomatic stall tactic in order to further their nuclear ambitions because they know we could flatten their infrastructure from the other side of the Tigris.

There's far more to international Islamic fundamentalism than Osama bin Laden. At this point he's merely a folk hero of the murderously deranged. We are racking up kills all over the place, seizing money and arms, and keeping the al Qaeda leadership jumping from place to place. You love to talk about Bush and his idiocy, yet you sit there in front of your computer sounding like a complete ...Deleted by CalHunter... as you spew political rhetoric without any regard for the realities of the world today. Keep flinging @#$&--it reminds us that the Left still has such a long way to go....

[HuntingEd]

got one word for ya Aught Six -

HOAAH!

[Canuck_Buck]

Aqua where are you? If you see a cow in a field, is it really there or is it just in your mind?.....LOL

Canucks got some extra beef too just waiting for the Q, man...just talked to some lads back from Afghanistan, Hooaaah is right...oh yeah and they hate camels...LOL

http://www.afghan-web.com/

[Whitehorse]

I would be interested to see how that "distinguished" group came up with their conclusions. Perhaps they had Joe Wilson primp his hair & sip a latte somewhere near a military base?