The Supreme Irony of Life...: Military Readiness

When I was in the Army, stationed in the US, one of the training exercises that most low ranking soldiers did not really like, was our month at the NTC (National Training Center) located at Fort Irwin, California. Although we didn't really like the time spent training in the Mojave desert, it is undeniably one of best training experiences, particularly for desert combat, such as what is seen in Iraq (and Iran?).

Which makes this revelation all the more disturbing:

WASHINGTON - Rushed by President Bush's decision to reinforce Baghdad with thousands more U.S. troops, two Army combat brigades are skipping their usual session at the Army's premier training range in California and instead are making final preparations at their home bases.

Some in Congress and others outside the Army are beginning to question the switch, which is not widely known. They wonder whether it means the Army is cutting corners in preparing soldiers for combat, since they are forgoing training in a desert setting that was designed specially to prepare them for the challenges of Iraq.

Army officials say the two brigades will be as ready as any others that deploy to Iraq, even though they will not have the benefit of training in counterinsurgency tactics at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., which has been outfitted to simulate conditions in Iraq for units that are heading there on yearlong tours.

This despite warnings from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that military readiness is at crisis conditions.

Yet the Bush administration continues to ignore the readiness condition of our military, all the while ratcheting up the rhetoric against Iran. With what Army does George Bush think he is going to be able to keep this pace up with? How does he expect to invade Iran and/or Syria?

It is time to put up or shut up. Call for a draft. At least call for all of the people who still support this war to enlist. Either that, or get the hell out before the back of the Army is broken.

Via Think Progress.