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Army on the Edge

I am a U.S. Army captain deployed for my second tour in Iraq and can relate all too well to the cover story [April 16]. It is important for the American people to know the state of the Army. Many of my fellow junior officers are leaving because of frequent and lengthy deployments. We all understand the call to serve and have done so without complaint and with distinction. But there is no substitute for spending time with your wife or children. The Army is at a crossroads, and the only way to prevent a further decline in readiness and fighting ability is by electing leaders who have a clear, attainable vision for the future, not a shortsighted, knee-jerk reaction to everything.

Name Withheld U.S. Army, BAGHDAD

My story is the same as that of many other military wives. My husband is well on the way to his third tour in Iraq. We have two little girls who barely know their father. Each time he deploys, I brace myself; he may not come home alive. And when my soldier is home, he isn't resting. He is hard at work training in the classroom and the field. How long can we sustain this lifestyle? It is high time for military families to stand up to this Administration and say, No more.

Stacy La Forest, FORT CAMPBELL, KY.

I am a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom. Your article provided no benefit to the U.S. but helped only the enemy. I would hope TIME would do all it could to help the U.S. win this war. Now is the time to fight for our country and way of life. I understand you may not wish to fight, but do not hinder those who do.

Major Frank S. Shaw III U.S. Army, TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

A Downward Spiral After reading Joe Klein's "An Administration's Epic Collapse" [April 16], I felt like hiding in my closet until Election Day. In the meantime, I don't know how much more the thinking people of this country will be able to stomach. I am in my advanced years, and I have never seen our country suffer such an outrage as this Administration. I am not calling for impeaching President George W. Bush, since removing him from office would simply bring forth someone far more reckless.

Louise France, WILMINGTON, DEL.

Blaming Bush for the failures at Walter Reed Army Medical Center is a bit unfair, and I am not one to defend him. There isn't a veteran out there who doesn't know that the military health-care system was a mess long before Bush became President. The blame for Walter Reed must rest primarily on the shoulders of the Army.

Jim Kindred, Chief Warrant Officer Four Army National Guard (ret.), CORINTH, MISS.

We the Critics

The beauty of American Idol is the notion that my vote could change someone else's life for the better [April 16]. But the powers that be at Idol have gone out of their way to undermine winning candidate Taylor Hicks. My hours on the phone were rewarded last month in Nashville when Hicks delivered an emotional performance of everything from his original music to that of the Carter Family. It was the best vote I have cast in 28 years.

Mary Kissel, OWENSBORO, KY.

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