Bloodless Coup

A Broken Army

The New York Times Magazine article on the potential division between Captains/Majors and Generals in the US Army is well worth reading.

There have been multiple arguments about "breaking" the Army by forcing it to recycle troops through Iraq multiple times; at some point, sheer fatigue (mental, physical, mechanical) sets in, and the Army starts to fail to be able to do its job. What hasn't been discussed is the potential breakage that is happening as the Captains and Majors bear the brunt of the failure of the Generals to speak truth to power (i.e., tell the White House that Iraq cannot be "solved" with the degree of resources devoted to it). This is a much less obvious story than the physical wearing of the Army, but potentially much more critical.