Majority Whip Clyburn : MajorityWhip.gov

Clyburn Urges Bush to Listen to Army Generals

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn today released the following statement regarding the testimony of top Army officials to the Senate Armed Services Committee.  U.S. Army General and Army Chief of Staff, George Casey, testified that the Army is under serious strain and recommended that the Army reduce the length of combat tours as soon as possible.

“Since the beginning of the Iraq War, many of our nation’s soldiers have been subjected to very lengthy and extremely burdensome combat tours.  And many of these brave men and women have been forced to stay in the Armed Services beyond their original retirement or re-enlistment dates.  The Bush Administration intends to keep a military presence in Iraq above pre-surge troop levels through the summer, going back on his word that the surge would be temporary.  Not only does this burden hinder the Army’s ability to respond to any additional future threat domestically or abroad, it puts extreme strain on American military families.

“With our soldiers enduring such unthinkable hardships, now is the time for President Bush to adhere to the will of our nation’s top Army Generals and significantly cut the time our soldiers spend in battle.  Decreasing combat tours and redeploying our troops out of harms way are important measures that will allow us to reinvest vital resources in our counter-terrorist efforts and move our country in a New Direction.”