Last year: 7 desertions per 1000 soldiers.

This year: 9 desertions per 1000 soldiers.

Sure, the percentage is "soaring" - by 2/1000 in one year.

That's one price you pay for waging a war.

Perspective

Highest desertion rate: 32.6% in 1871 (peace time response to pay cut)

Mexican war: 7%

Civil war: 11% for the north and 10% for the south

Spanish American war: 2%

Philippine war: 4%

WWI: less than 1%

WWII: up to 6.3% in 1944 then 4.5% in 1945

Korean war: 1.4% in 1951 up to 2.2% in 1953

Vietnam: 1.6% in 1965 up to 7.4% in 1971

Even with the increased rates of desertion today, it is still less than 1% putting it on par with WWI for the lowest war time desertion rates in US history.

Just wanted to add that research like that should have been done by the media, but that would interfere with their objective of putting the worst spin on the war and the military as possible.

N2, you're comparing wars where the military was supplied via the draft, whether the solider had wanted to serve or not, in the first place.

In Iraq this is an "all volunteer" military that is suppose to "want" to be there.

That is part of the "research" you ought to be conducting while you are trying to put the best spin you can on this issue.

In light of this being a volunteer military the article points out a very telling statistic.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add.

Nice blocking me from commenting on your clips.

You can't stop me from debunking your trash on other people's clips though.

You should always feel free to come by and debate on my clips. Soldiers are dying for freedom of speech so I would hate to discourage any debate.

The rate of desertions seems to be accelerating in a pattern that tracks almost exactly with the extension of tours in Iraq from 12 months to 15 months

Military leaders - including Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey - have acknowledged that the Army has been stretched nearly to the breaking point by the combat

These soldiers are not getting the rest they need in between tours either. This is an army heading for burn out. They need to come home.