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Rest Not the Weary

"Only the dead have seen the end of war" - General Douglas MacArthur, 1962

Creature hit upon the Bush administration's disdain for shared sacrifice yesterday. No more is this evident by the fact that the brunt of the burden for continuing the war falls squarely on the shoulders of the soldiers fighting it. Now we are learning that in order to maintain Bush's "surge", those same troops may be asked to stay even longer then they already have been. And just as before, it is again being claimed that the desired goal is to guarantee at least 12 months of down time away from combat. But if past is prologue, well...

Any extensions will no doubt have a serious impact on the psychological health of our troops as well as morale. Being in an environment where one must remain hyper-vigilant to danger for such long durations can lead even the strongest and most mentally fit individual to the brink of breakdown and beyond. To help alleviate this concern, military doctors have recommended soldiers be given at least one month away for every three in zone.

The military's response? No can do.
U.S. commanders in Iraq are rejecting a recommendation by Army mental health experts that troops receive a one-month break for every three months in a combat zone, despite unprecedented levels of continuous fighting and worsening risks of mental stress.

Perhaps is it time the Army updated their slogan.

More from Libby.

(Filed at State of the Day)