In late June, Jim Webb proposed a bill that would require U.S. troops in Iraq to spend as much time at their home base as they do deployed to combat zones. In other words, Webb is aiming for a 1:1 "dwell time" ratio. Back in June, Webb held a conference call on his bill, in which he discussed this issue:
...Sen. Webb talked about how traditionally, the ratio of time home to time deployed was 2:1 for active duty and 5:1 for national guard and reservists. Today, we've slipped below 1:1 on the active side towards a 0.75 ratio, and well below 3:1 on the guard and reserves side. Not surprisingly, retention is "going down the tubes" on the active side. For instance, the West Point classes of 2000 and 2001 are experiencing five times the attrition rate of pre-Iraq War classes.
In July, the Senate voted 56-41 for Webb's bill, a majority but not the 60 votes needed to break a Republican filibuster. At that time, several Republicans - people like Chuck Hagel and Olympia Snowe -- crossed the aisle and voted to support our troops. Other Republicans voted to support President Bush over our soldiers. Priorities, priorities.
Today, the AP reports that Webb's bill might be very close to 60 votes in favor, and that it could be reintroduced with a week or two. Unfortunately, the Bush administration continues to oppose it, with Defense Secretary Robert Gates calling it a "backdoor way" to draw down U.S. forces in Iraq. Gates is urging that President Bush veto the bill, assuming it passes. Sadly, that's not surprising. These people claim to "support the troops," but really they support the war -- not the troops. With comments like Gates', that becomes clearer every day.
What Gates is ignoring is that even if Bush gets his way and the Amendment is defeated, then we're still stuck next spring with insufficient troops to maintain the levels we're at right now.
"It is fully to be expected that the administration would oppose this amendment. The intention of the amendment is to rectify an inequity brought about by administration policies. I had a personal discussion with Secretary Gates on Wednesday and modified the amendment to address his major concerns. It is an appropriate area for Congress to act, and we stand by the amendment."
So Webb modifies the amendment to satisfy Gates and Gates is still going to encourage the President to veto it?
This war is especially hard on every piece of equipment, personal and professional, not to mention the loss ratio (that is, stolen or myseriously disappeared), and even vehicles and weapons are NOT in serviceable condition, as in worn out, beyond useful life, unuseable, etc. Some units I have heard are down to less than half their standard equipment inventory, including body armor, vehicles, even ammunition (I have heard that 90,000, that's 90 thousand rounds are fired for every actual opponent killed--- probably the highest ratio, if true, of any war we've ever fought); when a replacement unit arrives, the departing unit often has to turn over their equipment to their replacement units since the replacement unit did not arrive with a full complement of "stuff."
In other words, our guys and gals today need rest, recuperation, and resupply, and that's what adquate "dwell time" will provide. Republicans seem to think this war is a video game.