US troops heading to the battle field without extensive training

From the AP:

In a Dec. 10 letter to the Pentagon's top leaders, Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Solomon Ortiz, who heads the subcommittee on military readiness, said they are "greatly troubled" by what they learned as the Obama White House begins escalating the U.S. presence in Afghanistan...

The lawmakers said they were told troops are being taken straight from boot camp and being sent to Afghanistan and Iraq without extensive training at stateside bases.

"Is this a common practice now"? Skelton and Solomon ask. "And will the upcoming surge into Afghanistan exacerbate this situation?"...

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is a resounding "yes".

The President's plan is to deploy 30,000 US soldiers to Afghanistan by next summer and to begin withdrawing the troops 18 months later. [Although the United States' second in command in Afghanistan, Gen. David Rodriguez says it could take until November 2110 before the U.S. is able to deploy all 30,000 troops.] It goes without saying that when you're dealing with such a short timetable for success, there really isn't ample time for extensive training. A couple of quick lessons on how to use a compass, flashlight and a Swiss army knife, and off to the battlefield the troops shall go...

Of course, I'm not really concerned about any of this. For, indeed, our commander-in-chief recently told soldiers at the US Naval Air Station in Jacksonville Florida that, “While I will never hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests, I also promise you this, 'I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm’s way'.”

Obviously the President - who clearly possesses a profound sense of empathy and compassion for his fellow man - believes the troops do not need extensive training and that a few months in boot camp is sufficient. For indeed, he would never, ever send our troops into harms way...