A couple of articles showing how the war is affecting the ability of the forces to stay ready to react to other crises around the world.

A classified Pentagon assessment concludes that long battlefield tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with persistent terrorist activity and other threats, have prevented the U.S. military from improving its ability to respond to any new crisis, The Associated Press has learned.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says U.S. forces are “significantly stressed” by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. “The pace of ongoing operations has prevented our forces from fully training for the full spectrum of operations and impacts our ability to be ready to counter future threats.”