By Xinhua
Washington : US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates has admitted that the US Army is under severe stress and “out of balance”, although he denied that it’s broken by the Iraq war.
Addressing the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army Wednesday, Gates also said he recognised the fact that the army has been under-funded, and that the US government needs to provide enough money for personnel and equipment in the coming years.
One day earlier, Army Chief of Staff General George Casey said six years of war has taxed the US military, which is “out of balance”.
“We are consuming our readiness as quickly as we are building it,” Casey said.
As the Iraq war drags on, many US military leaders have been concerned the army has been stretched too thin and is approaching its breaking point.