In honor of Ranger Jim Lisa at Ranger Against War, I decided to copy emulate her method of starting off posts with applicable quotes from songs.

Do that to me one more time
Once is never enough with a man like you
Do that to me one more time
I can never get enough of a man like you

In recognition of the fact that the Army is too small for the overwhelming demands of Mr Bu$h’s ego-war, it looks like the Army is again planning to extend their tours in Iraq and quite possibly shortening their home stays from the 12 months mandated by Army policy.

Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Acting Secretary of the Army Pete Geren is reviewing alternatives to the problem of troops scheduled to leave during the late Summer and early Autumn, when the escalation demanded by renowned military strategist and Napoleonic War expert Fred Kagan will be at its height. Additionally, some of the first forces fed into the escalation will be due to rotate home during mid Summer 2008, and the anticipated rise in blood-letting would adversely affect the chances of any Republican Presidential candidates.

Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren testified Tuesday that the service is reviewing other options, including relying more heavily on Army reservists or Navy and Air Force personnel, so as not to put more pressure on a stretched active-duty force.

Most soldiers spend 15 months in combat with a guaranteed 12 months home, a rotation plan that has infuriated Democrats because it exceeds the service's goal of giving troops equal time home as in combat. In coming weeks, the Senate will vote on a proposal by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., that would restrict deployments.

"It's too early to look into the next year, but for the Army we have to begin to plan," Geren told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We have to look into our options."

Gen. David Petraeus, Iraq war commander, suggested Sunday that conditions on the ground might not be stable enough by September to justify a drop in force levels, and he predicted stabilizing Iraq could take a decade. Earlier this year, Bush ordered the deployment of some 30,000 additional troops as part of a massive U.S.-led security push around Baghdad and the western Anbar province.

There are about 156,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

It is tedious to once again note, but knowledgeable, competent military professionals advised Messers Bu$h, Cheney and Rumsfeld to not attempt to steal Iraq’s oil with less than 350,000 men.

Here’s the money quote, in context:

When asked by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., whether maintaining the force buildup would affect soldiers' 15-month combat schedules, Geren said he was unsure and cited "numerous options" available, including a "different utilization of the Guard and Reserve" and relying on the other services for help.

"We're committed to filling the requirements that the combatant commander asks," Geren said. "We have been able to do so up until now, and we will continue to do so."

Maintaining 156,000 troops in Iraq from now until Mr Bu$h saddles up ole Marines #1 and rides off into the sunset, and dust of historical obscurity is going to require sending just about every swinging dick in a military uniform. (Apologies to the uniformed women of the US Armed Forces, who truly clank when they walk.) That would include a very large number of Majors, Colonels and even Brigadier Generals currently employed as messengers, walking folders around the corridors of the Pentagon. We could probably field at least one more brigade with those linoleum-trotters and never feel the difference. They could take turns playing brigade commander, and build up their Form 20s.

But Acting Secretary Geren of course wouldn’t suggest sending a CONEX full of colonels to solve the manpower crisis that is building in Iraq. Instead he cited "numerous options" available, including a "different utilization of the Guard and Reserve" and relying on the other services for help.

Geren said the decision made earlier this year to extend tours from 12 to 15 months was intended to ensure soldiers were guaranteed one year at home. Previously, soldiers deployed for 12-month cycles but were unsure when they would be sent back.

"I felt it was the best of the two tough choices to make. ... That decision I believe was the right one," Geren said.

That was an easy statement, since the Bu$h maladministration is well-known for never making a bad decision.