The Iraq Study Group has come under fire for recommending a drastic drawdown of U.S. military forces in Iraq, but the nation's military experts are warning that limited resources may have the final say on what to do there.The Pentagon has 174,000 troops deployed to the Southwest Asia theater, including 132,000 in Iraq and almost 20,000 in Afghanistan. About a third of U.S. combat troops are actively engaged in the region. Another third are either returning from the region or preparing to return to it -- some for their third tour. That leaves few reserves for doing more in Iraq or for responding to other dangers.

“To sustain this cycle of deployments to Iraq is going to be one hell of a challenge for as small as this Army is,” said retired Brig. Gen. David Grange, former commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division. “If North Korea or Iran or something like that started, we would be in a bit of a pinch. Could we do it? Yes, but with ground power, it would be difficult. I don’t think they can sustain the rotations the way they are right now without really starting to have severe readiness issues in the Army much more than another year, say through 2007. You’d really be pushing it.”

The Iraq Study Group’s recommendation that the Bush administration consider ordering government civilians to Iraq has drawn outrage from federal employees’ unions.Civilian agencies have been seeking volunteers to assist with efforts in Iraq. But the report states that the potential danger of the assignment means few qualified candidates have taken the offer. Therefore: “In the short term, if not enough civilians volunteer to fill key positions in Iraq, civilian agencies must fill those positions with directed assignments,” the report says.

The U.S. military should be expanded by 100,000 to 150,000 troops to help relieve the long-term burden on those already serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Ia., said Monday.
"I think this global war is going to go on for a long time," he said.

Lt. Gen. Michael Rochelle, the Army’s deputy chief of staff, said the current recruiting environment may be the most challenging the service has faced since the draft ended 33 years ago. The panel on Thursday said recent recruiting difficulties are a combination of a lack of emphasis on military service in society and the heavy deployment of both active duty and reserve forces. And the experts said if those issues aren’t addressed, the recruiting difficulties will only grow, jeopardizing the readiness of the military.

The Army's National Guard and Reserve are bracing for possible new and accelerated call-ups, spurred by high demand for U.S. troops in Iraq, that leaders caution could undermine the citizen-soldier force as it struggles to rebuild.

An ABC News undercover investigation showed Army recruiters telling students that the war in Iraq was over, in an effort to get them to enlist.

With the US death toll in Iraq passing 100 this month and mid-term elections just days away, the Pentagon said the US force in Iraq has grown to 150,000 troops, the biggest it has been since January. The increase is noteworthy because US troop strength in Iraq is only 10,000 under the all-time high of about 160,000 reported in January after the Iraqi elections.

The Iraq war has left the United States military in critical condition, stretched beyond its limits in manpower and equipment and in danger of "breaking."  "The United States Army is stumbling toward the edge of a cliff. It’s starting to unravel," said Gen. Barry McCaffrey.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Army has plans to keep the current level of soldiers in Iraq through 2010, the top Army officer said Wednesday, a later date than Bush administration or Pentagon officials have mentioned thus far. Currently there are 141,000 troops in Iraq, including 120,000 Army soldiers.