That is, and that creates some real challenges for us.

If they were called upon today to deploy, just what would your response be?

It's like being on a treadmill. We're running faster and faster, but we're staying in place.

I assume that you're both doing a great job of making sure the soldiers on the front line are getting what they need, but that's at the expense of our preparedness to meet some future unexpected contingency.

General, thank you for your devotion to both your soldiers and to our country.

Unfortunately, the world has a way of determining the demand. It's somewhat beyond our control.

I took that in layman's terms to be some tough choices we're going to have to make.

Just how unready are the nondeployed forces?

So at least on a short-term basis, we'd have to continue to rob Peter to pay Paul?

I think the American public has a right to know that if something else comes along we're going to have a very difficult time meeting the national security threat that faces the country.

What about the possibility of introduced biofuel crops or establishing an industry that could grow and boost the Afghan economy?