Washington, D.C. -- "Congresswoman Mazie Hirono and I have already asked Secretary of the Army Pete Geren for more information about the redeployment of the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to Iraq,” said Rep. Abercrombie, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces. “We want to know how the Army plans to deal with the fact that the unit has never been fully re-equipped after their last Iraq deployment.  Best estimates are that the BCT has about 65% of its allotted vehicles and rolling stock, and is short on weapons, night vision goggles and other equipment.  Additionally, the unit is as much as 500 people below authorized strength.

Last October, Rep. John Murtha and I warned that National Guard units faced additional deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan because the active duty Army is too small to sustain President Bush’s endless war.  Despite our state adjutant general’s protests that it could never happen, it is.  Our warning wasn’t based on inside knowledge or mysticism, just arithmetic."

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