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Families paid the price

The U.S. war effort in Iraq is sustained by a hefty burden on the military, with some troops preparing for their fifth tour of duty and the army facing a $200bn-plus rebuilding bill. The army was forced to extend troop deployments from one year to 15 months last April in order to keep the war going.

Only three out of 10 Americans are in the physical shape required to join the military. Educational standards have been relaxed to allow more high school dropouts into the force, and the army has opened its doors to former convicts, giving out “moral waivers” to those who have committed one felony or multiple misdemeanours. Those waivers were given to 4.6 per cent of recruits in 2003 but to more than 11 per cent last year.

But the 15-month tours are the war’s most controversial consequence. Troops get lengthier deployments and the cost of separation from their families is too much to bear for many. Child abuse and neglect are on the rise in military families facing more trips to Iraq, and suicides have risen to a 26-year high.

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