Bush Administration Poised to Break Promise to U. S. Reservists
Six weeks after insisting the U. S. had "sufficient force to do what is required" in Iraq, the Bush Administration admitted yesterday more American reservists likely will be sent to the frontlines.
Thursday's announcement contradicts the promise of Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers who said on August 5th, "We're trying to put predictability into the lives of our soldiers, their families and the reservists and their employers."1
The additional deployment is in part necessitated by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's refusal to heed the advice of Pentagon careerists who want to increase the size of the active-duty force. Army chief of staff Peter Schoomaker has said, "I'm going to tell you that, you know, intuitively, I think we need more people. I mean, it's that simple."2
Rumsfeld has stubbornly claimed, "Thus far, the analysis that's been done [on troop strength] indicates that we're fine."3
But two weeks ago the Pentagon added as much as six months to the tours of duty for the National Guard troops and Reserves in Iraq.4 Longer deployments are felt by communities and families in the U.S. including some local police departments that lose "20% of their manpower when local Guard units are activated".5 Now, conceding there is no foreseeable end to U. S. involvement in Iraq, Marine Corps General Peter Pace announced that thousands more reservists will almost certainly be called up as other troops are finally sent home. The 30,000 Guardsmen and 50,000 reserves in Iraq represent the largest reserve battlefield presence since World War II.6
Sources:
1. DoD News Briefing - Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers, 8/5/03,
2. "New Top General Tells Legislators U.S. Will Probably Need a Larger Army", New York Times, 7/30/03.
3. "Secretary of Stubbornness," Weekly Standard, 9/15/03.
4. "Troops' tours of duty could run for 1 year; Extensions frustrate military families," Detroit Free Press, 9/10/03.
5. "The war over the National Guard," Salon, 8/19/03.
6. "Pentagon May Call Up Additional Reservists", Los Angeles Times, 9/25/03.
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