Has Iraq stretched the U.S. military to its breaking point? – Because they’ve used up “pre-positioned” assets around the globe, the US must now transport equipment to Iraq along with troops. This raises the cost to deploy an entire unit, such as the 3rd Infantry Division, to as much as $1 billion. Additionally, the Iraq action has put the military in a place where a war or significant action in the next several years could cause the system to collapse. They’re running out of supplies, hardware, and, of course, trained, willing troops. Meanwhile, the latest Pentagon budget still includes massive spending on new, advanced weapons and an untested missile defense system that won’t be ready for field use for years — if ever.