Mullen: War stresses may be growing

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Mullen: War stresses may be growing

By Robert Burns - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Nov 19, 2008 6:04:49 EST

WASHINGTON — Stress on U.S. troops from repeated combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan is “extraordinary” and may be worsening even as fighting eases in Iraq, the military’s top officer says.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Adm. Mike Mullen expressed hope that the strain will be relieved gradually as the Marine Corps and Army expand the pool of available forces.

The Marines, for example, created an additional battalion this fall and plan to add another by February, Mullen said. That will allow them to “feed the fight as well as relieve the stress,” he said.

The Army, while also growing, will take longer to put additional combat units into the pipeline for fighting wars, he said.

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