Military check-up time
Michael O'Hanlon/Washington Times Posted 28 weeks agoHow well are our armed forces, and particularly our ground forces, holding up under the remarkable strain of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars?
As a nation, never have we asked so much of so few for so long. As such, the strain on soldiers and Marines must be constantly tracked as we reach decisions about how long to sustain 15 brigades in Iraq (once we draw down to that number this summer), how much to increase our forces in Afghanistan (now that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has promised U.S. allies that the next American administration will do so), and how much faster we should increase the size of our Army and Marine Corps (if that is even possible).
In fact, to date, our military is holding up reasonably well under the immense strain. By most measures of quality, it still looks roughly comparable to say the early years of the Reagan buildup — if not necessarily as strong as its typical state of the late Reagan years or the 1990s.
Thoughts
What can we do to help?
Submitted on May 4th, 2008 by chief28.retThis is a great question and I hope that many people will provide reasoned opinions.
As a relatively recent USAF retiree, I am well aware of the strain of those in uniform, however, I believe there are other factors that must also be looked at when we discuss how well our forces are holding up. 1) how well are the wives holding up? 2) how well are we as fellow Americans offering our prayers, time, and fellowship to the families of deployed sailors, airmen, soldiers, and marines? 3) What will be the long term effect of long term deployments to the psychological fitness of the children of our service members?
We rightfully need to understand the strain this or any conflict imposes on our armed forces, but as many of us know, what is happening at home is equally staining on those deployed.
My wife often refused to tell me anything negative going on at home while I was deployed for fear it would add to the stess of being deployed. I knew that she was strong and could handle just about anything, but I also knew there was always more to the story.
I believe it is important for all Americans to be aware of the family members, children, and wives of our service members. They too are under a lot of stress, perhaps a different kind of stress, but huge stress nonetheless. Keep them in your prayers, show your support for them, and do something actionable for them to help relieve the strain.
By helping the families of our troops, you are taking an active role in ensuring our troops stay focused, sharp, and prepared. When I knew that friends, family, and neighbors where actively helping, it was always a huge load off my mind!