There is
new CNN reporting
about the military
that we want to bring you.
It's about the U.S.
Army's air defense units.
They are among
the most overworked in the military.
They've been stretched thin
by global threats.
The critical Army
defense units are tasked with providing
a round the clock
deterrence against our country's
biggest adversaries.
CNN national security producer
Haley Brisket joins us now
from Washington with more.
Haley,
tell us what you discovered
and what you're hearing from folks inside
the armed services.
Yeah, so Boris, like you
said, the Army Air
Defense Branch is one of,
if not the most deployed
branches in the service as senior
leaders are saying
that they have been deploying
to the Pacific, to the Middle East
and to Europe.
Of course,
as we see them
trading up Ukrainians
to provide their own air defense
against Russia's invasion
and those are
critically important missions,
but they are having an impact
on soldiers.
Leaders say
that they're seeing an increase
in air defense, soldiers seeking out
behavioral health.
So meaning
trying to go get mental health
support on post.
They're also concerned of the wear
and tear that these deployments
are having on families.
And while the unpredictable nature
of these deployments
so leaders are working hard
to mitigate
some of that pressure to take on
some of the pressure on soldiers,
because really those demands around
the world are only increasing
and will only be increasing
over the next several years.
And in some regions,
that threat is specifically
looming large.
Where are those regions
where these units are
feeling the hardest strain
So the
Indo-Pacific and
Europe are where
we're seeing some major strain
on these units right now
in the Indo-Pacific,
these soldiers are not only dealing
with a lengthy list
of operational requirements,
but also training exercises
with foreign allies and partners
in the region.
And given the vast
size of the Indo-Pacific,
they are
taking multiple days away from family
just to travel, let alone
do the exercises themselves.
And then, of course,
we have the soldiers in Europe
who are now training
Ukrainians on their own air
defense systems,
provided by the US and their allies.
And so we I spoke with a U.S.
soldier who helped
head up that Patriot
training for the Ukrainians,
who said it was some of the most
grueling
training days he's had,
just given how intense they are, knowing
what is at stake here
and hoping to give these Ukrainians
every possible chance
and giving them every tool
in their toolkit on air defense
and how our military leaders
trying to address the problem now.
Yeah.
So multiple lines of effort
here, Boris, by the Army.
We have
that's quite big enlistment bonus.
The Army is now offering
for some air
defense jobs a little over $47,000
and hoping to fill out
some of these new air defense units
and they'll be standing up
over the next several years.
They also are embedding
mental health specialists
into the brigades
in order to give these soldiers
someone to talk to if they need it.
Reducing commitment in the Middle East,
going from five battalions
deploying in that region
to two battalions now
because partners are able
to kind of provide their own air defense.
And then also just encouraging leaders
to increase their communication
with families, mitigate
some of that pressure
and that unpredictability.
So leaders are really working
in the background here
to try to take care of their soldiers
while also meeting those mounting
mission requirements.
And joining me
now is CNN military analyst
and retired U.S.
Army commanding
general Mark Hertling
for some reaction to that story.
Now, General,
what do you make of the Army's
concerns about this rampant burnout
among its missile defense units?
I mean, this is something
that's always been a problem.
Paula, this is not new.
Hailey's reporting is very good,
but it's a problem
that's been around for decades.
It has to do with the type of equipment
we're talking about.
Air defense falls into three categories
manned, portable, the ones that are fired
from a soldier
shoulder like the Stinger missile.
Something they call
Nomad, which is the low
altitude equipment.
Like they get parts
or that
The Avengers
that we're seeing in Ukraine right now.
And then there's the high
that the high altitude equipment
that shoots down cruise missiles,
ballistic missiles,
and high flying aircraft.
It's the high in that area
where there are the problems,
the so-called Patriot systems.
And it's very easy for the public to say,
hey, let's just send the Patriots here
or send them there.
But there are very few
of these equipment.
They're called high demand,
low density pieces of equipment.
There's several areas in the Army
that are like this.
And Patriot is the number one system
that's like this.
And it's because, number one,
they cost so much.
Number two,
it takes so much time to train
soldiers on them.
And number three,
they have defensive requirements
in various parts of the world.
As Haley mentioned, Korea, Taiwan,
the Middle East.
And we've been supporting our
our allies and partners
with some of these systems as well.
I want to read you something
that the commander
of the 10th
Army Air and missile
Defense Command said in Europe, quote,
Unfortunately, business is good for air
defense.
Of course,
that's very apparent
when it comes to Ukraine.
So do you think this burnout could impact
or even threaten the
US's efforts in Ukraine?
Oh, certainly could.
And the 10th air and missile defense
command in
Europe used to be one of the units
I commanded in Europe.
There was one Patriot battalion
a unit
that has three batteries of Patriot.
We have given
one of those batteries to Ukraine.
So it is down now to two batteries
with with about 90 soldiers in Iraq.
What happens is
when you give those
pieces of equipment away
or when you send them off to allies,
the soldiers that remain
that are still doing
a very viable
mission are stuck
with taking up the slack.
It's like taking an entire organization,
cutting it by a third,
and then saying, hey,
continue to do the mission
you've been asked to do.
That's what's happening.
So the tent embassy in Europe
is just one of several
that are like this.
And yeah,
they work is good,
but there's not that many of them.
And the next question
I'm sure you're going to ask,
well, well,
why didn't the Army make more of these?
Because they are extremely expensive.
And there's a budget that has to do with
not only the systems,
but also the missiles that they fire.
Fair enough.
Now, speaking of Ukraine, though,
the country's deputy defense minister
just announced
that Russian forces
have made advances in eastern Ukraine.
How significant is this
Well, all the rage that I'm getting,
Paul, is the fact that
that Ukrainian forces
are actually countering
those Russian advances
in the eastern part in the Donbas.
And at the same time,
the Ukrainian forces
are also continuing their efforts
in the southeastern part of the country,
that region herself.
So all of the front lines, that 600 mile
or 600
kilometer of front line
from the north
all the way down to
the southeast is being covered.
Ukraine is advancing in many of them.
Russia is taking advantage
and attempting to regain some territory.
But every read that I'm getting
from my counterparts in Ukraine
is that they're not being
very successful in doing.
Also overnight, Russia launched
an air attack on the capital of Kiev.
The city's military administration says
that Russia used Iranian made drones.
Kiev's air
defenses destroyed all of the drones,
according to the city's leaders.
But multiple homes were damaged
by falling debris.
A resident was injured.
Is this a growing threat for Ukraine?
I mean, Russia
using these Iranian drones?
It's been a threat for six months.
The combination of drones,
which are relatively
cheap, are sent in first.
So it drains off some of the air
defense pieces of equipment.
We were just talking about.
And then they send in the Russians will
then send in the larger missiles
after they think they've depleted
weapons against the drones.
So you're going to see this combination
tactics of of firing
actually very inexpensive drones
against cities
that have large explosive power
to drain off the Ukrainian air defense.
And then followed up
by much bigger missiles.
And that's part of the air
defense problem
we were talking about earlier.
The amount of weapons
that are being used to counter this
air threat
by Russia is just off the chart.
We have never seen this many drones.
This many fire
caliber missiles fired at one time.
And the good news is
Ukraine is shooting down most of them.
They they've put up a protective barrier
a wall, if you will.
It's very difficult to do.
And they're having more success
than countries like Israel
using the Iron Dome.
They are actually protecting their people
very well.
With the equipment
they've been given by the West.
But again, we get back to the problem,
low density,
high demand equipment
being used in Ukraine
that have been purchased
truthfully for our security, for the U.S.
security.
General Mark
Hertling, thank you
Pleasure, Paula.
Thank you.