Monday, December 25, 2006

Bring on the Recruiters!

An army recruiter's story

"A 39-year-old woman who once worked as a chemical specialist in the Army found herself down and out and living in a women’s shelter, (the recruiter) said. The Army came calling one more time, and she re-enlisted. Now, the woman is back in uniform at her previous job, serving in South Korea."

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses... so that I can slap a uniform on them and ship them off to Korea. I understand that times are tough, and who am I to judge? But does this strike anyone as a little outlandish?

article from the New York Times

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Commander Said to Be Open to More Troops

For the first time, General Casey is saying that he's open to more troops.

"Until recently, the top ground commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., has argued that sending more American forces into Baghdad and Anbar Province, the two most violent regions of Iraq, would increase the Iraqi dependency on Washington, and in the words of one senior official, “make this feel more like an occupation.”

Well, according to the NY Times, this has changed. My question is, why does a guy like this change his mind? Where's the pressure coming from? Or is this just a coincidental change-of-heart? Looks like to me like someone is trying to get all their ducks in a row. Cheney, anyone?

article from the New York Times

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Where to Find 20,000 More Troops

It's official: W. and company are officially looking for a way to get 20,000 more troops prepared for war in Iraq.

"Discussion of increasing the number of American troops... has coursed through Washington for two months. But the decision to ask the Joint Chiefs of Staff to specify where the additional forces could be found among overstretched Army, Marine and National Guard units... signifies a turn in the debate."

From the article, it looks like they'll mostly be forcing present-soldiers to stay on for longer tours of duty, while rushing through the soldiers currently at boot camp, which strikes me as unfair on every count. That said, you never know when this administration will kick it up another notch and dip into the biggest reserve: the civilian population.

article from the New York Times