WASHINGTON, July 31 (UPI) -- A House Democrat warned Monday that U.S. military ground forces were at a "breaking point" because of their extended deployments in Iraq.
"The Bush Administration's current strategy of multiple back-to-back deployments has stretched our military and is breaking our all-volunteer force. If we fail to act, we do so at the expense of our military readiness. We need a posture that allows units adequate dwell time to recover, train, and equip before their next assignment. If we do not fix this problem immediately, we will suffer massive recruitment and retention problems in the near future," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.
"The American people have all sorts of reasons for being opposed to this war, and one very large one is that they live in the same communities as our military and they see the strain that this puts on our families first hand, and it does not sit well with them," Tauscher said.
The Armed Services Committee Monday approved a markup on H.R. 3159, legislation initiated by Tauscher that would require a minimum period of rest and recuperation for members of the U.S. armed forces between their periods of service in Iraq. The committee approved the bill to the full House by a vote of 32 to 25.
H.R. 3159 mandates minimum periods of rest and recuperation for active and reserve component units deployed to Iraq.
