DAMAGE: I don't pretend to be an expert in matters military, but this would certainly seem to support Rep. John Murtha's contention yesterday that the war in Iraq is doing serious damage to our nation's armed forces:

The Army has suspended plans to expand an unwieldy, 16-month-old program to call up inactive soldiers for military duty, after thousands have requested delays or exemptions or failed to show up....

The Army also announced, in a memo released this week, that it will no longer involuntarily mobilize from the IRR an estimated 15,000 Army officers who have already completed their eight years of required military duty, stating that under a new policy it will offer them a chance to resign instead.

Poor records management has hampered the Army's efforts to draw on the pool, intended to fill holes in existing Army units, Harvey told defense reporters last week.

As I said above, I'm no expert. But when soldiers just ... stop showing up, it sounds like we have a problem. And probably one that another vicious, unprincipled round of Swift Boating won't do much to address.