A `broken force'.

Byline: The Register-Guard

When a G.I. gripes about conditions in the Army, no one gives it a second thought. When a three-star general does it, the American people, Congress and, above all, the military's commander in chief should pay close attention.

Lt. Gen. James Helmly, commander of the Army Reserve, sent a scathing memo last month to senior Pentagon leaders saying his branch of the military is unable to meet its missions in Iraq and Afghanistan because of "dysfunctional" personnel policies. Those misguided policies, he warned, have damaged morale and undermined retention and are rapidly turning the reserve into a "broken force."

Specifically, Helmly criticized Pentagon policies that have extended reservists' tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, have given troops insufficient notice before mobilization and have called many reservists back to active duty after they had already served full tours and returned to their civilian lives.

The senior commander left no doubt about the severity of the problem, saying the Pentagon's policies already have taken such a toll on the Reserve that the 200,000-strong force could be unable to successfully carry out future missions. "I do not wish to sound alarmist," he wrote. "I do wish to send a clear, distinctive signal of deepening concerns."

Helmly's concerns resonate with Oregonians, where the death rate of Oregon National Guardsmen is running nearly three times higher than that of the overall National Guard. The National Guard and Army Reserve - part-time soldiers who usually train one weekend a month and for two weeks a year - now make up a full 40 percent of U.S. military forces in Iraq, where they perform jobs ranging from driving supply trucks to conducting urban raids.

The general is not alone in criticizing Pentagon policy. Other military leaders have done the same. The Government Accountability Office, the auditing arm of Congress, issued a grim report last fall warning that the Defense Department could eventually "run out of forces."

Pentagon officials argue that the world has changed dramatically in recent years and, along with it, the challenges faced by the U.S. military. That's certainly true. For the past two years, American troops have been locked in a counterinsurgency conflict that they were not prepared to fight and that has no end in sight.

But the U.S. military has changed as well. Since the end of the Cold War - and through a recent restructuring by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld - the Army is significantly smaller than it was a quarter-century ago. Even if Rumsfeld were inclined to put more boots on the ground in Iraq, he would have a hard time finding them.

As the Pentagon reaps, so shall it sow in the uncertain years to come. Young Americans are increasingly reluctant to enlist in the regular Army, and the National Guard and Reserve have reported major slumps in recruiting. It's a good bet that many of this country's "best and brightest" who once might have considered careers in the military are now having second thoughts.

It's also important to keep the military's troubles in perspective. The U.S. military remains the most powerful and effective force in the world. But Americans should have confidence that their military can respond effectively not only to current conflicts but also to any on the horizon. Could our overextended military mount a sustained and effective response to a conflict with North Korea or Iran, for example, while honoring its current commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Helmly's clarion warning should prompt the Pentagon and its overseers in Congress to consider major changes, including increases in the size of the regular Army and Marine Corps. Given the already swollen state of the military budget, money shouldn't be a problem. Military officials could start by pulling the plug on the useless and politically motivated missile defense system, with a number of other programs not far behind.

Unless the Pentagon makes major adjustments - and makes them soon - the U.S. military risks becoming what Gen. Helmly boldly and rightly called a "broken force."