Some 300,000 soldiers – active duty, National Guard, and Reserve – rotated through Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009, most on their second or third combat deployments. While the casualty rate – especially for killed in action – has been the lowest for any combat operation in history, it nonetheless has placed severe strains on both soldiers and their families. Even so, the rate of re-enlistments and new enlistments remains high to meet the Army’s authorized growth to 547,400 active duty, 358,200 National Guard, and 206,000 Army reservists by 2012.
However, as Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and then-Secretary of the Army Pete Geren warned Congress in their annual Posture Statement in May 2009, the situation is getting worse, even with the ongoing withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
“The Army is out of balance,” they reported. “The current demand for our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds the sustainable supply and limits our ability to provide ready forces for other contingencies. Even as the demand for our forces in Iraq decreases, the mission in Afghanistan and other requirements will continue to place a high demand on our Army for years to come.
“Current operational requirements for forces and insufficient time between deployments require a focus on counterinsurgency training and equipping to the detriment of preparedness for the full range of military missions. Soldiers, families, support systems, and equipment are stressed due to lengthy and repeated deployments. Overall, we are consuming readiness as fast as we can build it.”
Those strains were further heightened in November 2009 when Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an American-born Muslim of Palestinian descent, opened fire on unarmed soldiers at a Fort Hood, Texas, medical center, killing 13 and wounding 32 others. In remarks at a memorial service for the victims on Nov. 10, 2009, Casey called the slayings – the worst mass murder ever at a U.S. military base – “a kick in the gut” to the Army and the nation.
“The violence that led to the deaths of these 13 Americans and the wounding of dozens of others was unimaginable,” he said. “The men and women who were killed had more than a century of service to this country.
“But with the shock and senselessness of the tragedy came the courageous actions of the first responders and caregivers, the selflessness of fellow soldiers who risked their lives to help one another, the calm leadership of the command, and the overwhelming outpouring of support from the community. These responses in the aftermath of tragedy have been uplifting, if not heroic.”
Some of those wounded in the Fort Hood shooting were scheduled to continue with their deployments overseas, including Southwest Asia, after recovering from their wounds. It was in line with the record number of soldiers wounded in combat who have declined medical discharge and returned to duty, often to combat, even after having lost an eye or limb.
The Fort Hood shootings came two days before the eighth anniversary of Operation Enduring Freedom, the start of combat operations in Afghanistan following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.
“For eight years now, the Army has been in a constant state of war. Our soldiers have been deployed over and over again and taken the fight to increasingly battle-hardened and lethal enemies,” Gates said on that anniversary. “The stakes have been enormous; the tales of heroism and sacrifice extraordinary. Hundreds of thousands of brave warriors have volunteered to serve their country, knowing they probably would go to war. They have endured time away from family and friends. And they have risked their lives for their fellow soldiers.