America's Soldiers

(Newser) - The Army had good intentions in mind when it sent a letter to families of soldiers killed in Iraq to inform them of available services. Problem is, the letters to ease the most personal of sacrifices all began the same way: "Dear John Doe." Now Army chief of staff Gen. George Casey is sending a personal note of apology to 7,000 family members for the oversight, the Military Times reports. More »

(Newser) - To reel in more recruits, the US Army is relaxing weight restrictions on would-be soldiers. A waiver program gives outsize volunteers a year after signing up to get in shape, measured by body-mass index, or be booted, the Christian Science Monitor reports. With the youthful population consuming more and exercising less, and the military planning to expand, something had to give. More »

(Newser) - Barack Obama echoes most Americans’ war views, if not those of his national-security team, a Washington Post -ABC News poll finds. Though 27% fewer Americans are pessimistic about efforts in Iraq compared to 2 years ago, 70% say they want troops withdrawn within 16 months, as Obama has promised. Most—67%—say that war is not worth fighting, while 55% say the one in Afghanistan is. More »

(Newser) - Military leaders knew before the Iraq war that roadside bombs would threaten troops, but they still dragged their heels on adopting vehicles more resistant to IEDs, a Pentagon investigation has found. In 2005 officials stopped processing an urgent request from field commanders for vehicles called MRAPs, whose height and hull shape deflect underside attacks better than military Humvees, USA Today reports. More »

(Newser) - American combat deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq fell to their lowest level last month since the US began fighting two wars, USA Today reports. Combat claimed 11 lives, and 7 others perished in non-combat incidents. Commanders credited major security improvements in Iraq for statistics there, but warned that the situation was more complex in Afghanistan. More »

(Newser) - A lawsuit filed against Halliburton and KBR accuses the military contractors of exposing troops and civilian workers on a US base in Iraq to spoiled food, contaminated water, and toxic fumes from a burn pit, the Military Times reports. The lead plaintiff in the suit said he still has nightmares after seeing a wild dog roaming the base with a human arm in its mouth after KBR dumped medical waste in a trash fire instead of a medical incinerator. More »

(Newser) - US soldiers are testing positive for drugs in record numbers even as the number of Army counselors shrinks, USA Today reports. This year 2.38% of troops tested positive during routine urine screens, up from 1.74% in 2004, and more than 7,000 soldiers were sent to counseling for dependency, up from 5,727 in 2003. More »

(Newser) - US commanders are drawing up plans to send an extra 20,000 troops to Afghanistan over the next 12 to 18 months, Reuters reports. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the surge will help reverse the rising violence in the country and safeguard elections planned for next fall. Commanders say the current NATO force in southern Afghanistan is overwhelmed by the growing Taliban insurgency. More »

(Newser) - American troops in Afghanistan want to take a razor to the military's long