The President’s Iraq Policy and Total Force Readiness
23 Jan 07 hearing before the House Armed Services Committee:
Quote:
General Schoomaker and Commandant Conway, welcome to today’s full committee hearing, we appreciate you being here. Today this committee will hear your testimony on how the President’s recent proposal to increase troops in Iraq will affect the readiness posture of our military and what strategic risks it will entail. Today, we aren’t looking at alternative courses of action in Iraq. Rather, this is an opportunity for members of this Committee and, more importantly, the American people to understand the ramifications of the President’s proposed policy on those in uniform and their training and readiness...
...This hearing will also be an opportunity for us to explore the second and possibly third order effects that may result from the proposed troop increase. For example, how will the proposed troop increase affect unit and individual training? How will units be equipped for the fight given the equipment shortages being experienced back in CONUS? We also are interested in learning more about how the increase in troop levels in Iraq could affect the morale of the troops and their families, and what the services are doing to address potential recruiting and retention challenges that may arise as a result of this change...
GEN Schoomaker, Chief of Staff, US Army
GEN Conway, Commandant, USMC
