US forces 'stretched' to breaking point

Thursday, July 8, 2004. 12:13pm (AEST)

US forces have been stretched to the breaking point as a result of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, a top Pentagon official has testified before a congressional committee.

General Richard Cody told a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee that recent troop deployments have taken a toll on US readiness to deploy elsewhere, and even to replace troops currently deployed in combating US-led military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Are we stretched thin with our active and reserve component forces right now? Absolutely," General Cody told lawmakers at the hearing on US troop rotations.

"We just did the largest move of the Army since World War II, you can't move 8.5 divisions and 240,000 soldiers without stressing the force," he said adding the military officials "are concerned about it".

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