After invading Iraq without the troops adequate to maintain order, then-President George W. Bush resisted advice to expand the military to ease the strain on weary soldiers. Instead, the administration extended their tours to 15 months from 12. When that failed to fix the problem, the Pentagon told soldiers they had to stay in the military, even after they fulfilled their commitments.
The result was a military stretched to the point of breaking. Prolonged exposure to combat and separation from their families took a toll on soldiers trapped by the new "stop-loss" policies. Suicide and divorce rates rose.
The Obama administration has rightly given high priority to ending the abuse of stop-loss.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week that he will phase out most of the program over the next two years. Currently, 13,100 soldiers are covered by the policy as well as 4,400 National Guardsmen and 1,450 reservists.
Gates also promised to provide an extra $500 per month to troops affected by stop-loss, retroactive to last October. Congress approved $72 million for the payments last fall, but Army leaders had been reluctant to distribute the money because they feared it would discourage re-enlistments.
Gates' commitment to ending stop-loss is partly inspired by a surge in recruits caused by the recession and rising unemployment. The administration also is reducing troop levels in Iraq faster than it is increasing the deployments to Afghanistan.
Such practical considerations are a necessary element of the administration's decisionmaking. But practical considerations should not overshadow the obligation this country has to end a cruel and unsustainable policy.
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