...when once we practice to deceive

Time Magazine published a story last month entitled "Broken Down," describing the poor state of the U.S. military.

Time noted:

The main consequences of a tightly stretched Army is that men and women are being sent into combat with less training, shorter breaks and disintegrating equipment. When those stories get out, they make it harder to retain soldiers and recruit them in the first place. "For us, it's just another series of never-ending deployments, and for many, including me, there is only one answer to that--show me the door out," wrote an officer in a private e-mail to Congressman Steve Rothman of New Jersey.

This would seem to be a logical conclusion, if all aspects of the story were true. Alas, they are not: Army Guard reaches 350,000-member goal ahead of schedule, noting, in particular:

"The strength of the Guard has been the amazing levels of retention among members of deployed units, surpassing all expectations," said Lt. Col. Diana Craun, the Army Guard’s deputy chief for strength maintenance.

"Retention is highest among units that have returned from deployments, and retention is an essential element in end strength," she added.

What tangled webs we weave...