Hagel, Webb team up to urge limits on troop levels

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

Published Wednesday | March 28, 2007
Hagel, Webb team up to urge limits on troop levels
BY JAKE THOMPSON
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

WASHINGTON - Two Vietnam combat veterans teamed up Wednesday to urge new limits on U.S. troop deployments to Iraq and to require that soldiers have proper training and equipment when sent into battle.

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., said the Iraq war is putting at risk the all-volunteer force that took nearly 30 years to build up after "the disaster of Vietnam."

"We are abusing our all-voluntary force in a dangerous and irresponsible way," Hagel said. "We are abusing our people. We are abusing their families."

He joined Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., in proposing to give active duty soldiers a year off between deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1216&u_sid=2355707

[maddezmom]

1. Hagel calls on Congress to rescue military

Hagel calls on Congress to rescue military
By DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star
Wednesday, Mar 28, 2007 - 03:18:54 pm CDT
President Bush’s policies in Iraq have abused U.S. soldiers and their families and “pushed the military to the breaking point,” Sen. Chuck Hagel said Wednesday.

Congress, he said, must step in and support the troops by imposing restrictions limiting overseas deployments and requiring full compliance with the military’s readiness standards in terms of training and equipment.

Hagel presented the Senate with a bipartisan proposal, co-authored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., that he said would protect both “the rifleman” and the future readiness and strength of the armed services. The plan, offered as an amendment to the Iraq war supplemental appropriations bill, was delayed for future consideration.

A leadership agreement did not make room for consideration of the amendment as part of the appropriations bill, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., made a commitment to bring the proposal before the Senate for debate at a later date.

more:http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/03/28/news/politics/doc460acd87b2163575360961.txt