Mullen assesses military risks

HONOLULU, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff says even when the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq end, the Middle East and Central Asia will still be unstable.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, currently on a six-day trip to California, Hawaii and Australia, is raising concerns about the U.S. military's readiness after years of strain from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mullen says some of his top commanders including Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway have expressed the need to broaden the training for increased capabilities of U.S. troops to handle the expected future instability of the Middle East, the American Forces Press Service reported.

"If I were to magically wave a wand and get everybody back from Iraq and Afghanistan. It's still going to take a while to reset," Mullen said in a statement. "It will take some time to reset the Army and a shorter time to reset the Marine Corps."

Mullen says the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan is affecting overall troop and equipment readiness. The military risks facing the United States to handle future conflicts "is made in terms of what we're ready for and tied to that is the probability of what's the likely occurrence," Mullen said. "For example, the likelihood that the United States would field a ground force in some other areas right now is pretty slim. This doesn't mean the U.S. military couldn't do it, but simply means it is not likely."