An American Bradley (APV) that was hit by an IED in Ramadi.
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Meanwhile, far away from Washington and from Iraq, Matthew Zeimer was buried Feb. 12 in the middle of a Montana snowstorm. Hundreds of mourners lined the route his hearse followed from Glendive's Sacred Heart Catholic Church to the hilltop Dawson County Cemetery. They stood in silent salute in the bitter 8° cold. Five members of an Army honor guard fired off volleys of three shots each. The Army bugler stepped from his warm car and played Taps into the biting wind. The Army honor guard carefully folded the flag that had covered Zeimer's coffin and presented it to his family. But a local priest had to conduct Zeimer's funeral and burial. The Army chaplain who was supposed to preside didn't make it in time. His car slid into a ditch about 100 miles west of town. Signs of Strain. From Washington to Baghdad, the Army struggles to cope with years of war [This article contains a several charts. Please see hardcopy of magazine.] BUDGET After years of decline following the cold war, the defense budget rose with the war on terrorism. But after a short boost for the war in Iraq, the army is once again getting the smallest share of the Pentagon funds. RECRUITING The Army has been lowering standards to meet enlistment goals, taking on more dropouts and even convicted felons. Recruiters face a bigger challenge as they try to permanently add 65,000 troops. PERSONNEL The army will be short about 3,000 midlevel officers for the next few years and faces critical gaps in such key areas as military intelligence. And suicides in the ranks have been climbing.