With President Bush poised to unveil his new plan for Iraq, pundits (and Democrats) have been hacking away at a purported surge in US forces. Among them is former head of US European Command and former Presidential candidate, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, who writes in a Washington Post op-ed that any troop surge would simply “distract us from facing the deep-seated regional issues that must be resolved.” He goes on to note that we’ve never had enough troops in Iraq and that “adding 20,000 now seems too little, too late.” Clark advocates the Iraq Study Group view—more political muscle is needed. He says, “The neoconservative vision has failed.”
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.