Special Forces: Wearing Down, Wearing Out

Earlier this week we talked with the leader of one of the top-secret teams of Green Berets that is waging war against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Maj. Rusty Bradley has been deployed to that foreign field five times. He told On Point that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder in the past. And that the repeated deployments take a toll on the families of Special Forces soldiers, SEALS, and marines.

Yesterday, William McRaven, head of the Special Operations community, said that the ever-increasing demands on Special Forces troops are wearing out both men and equipment.

WASHINGTON — The military commander who directed the raid that killed Osama bin Laden is warning that the escalating demands on U.S. special operations forces are hampering their training and could slowly eat away at their combat readiness.

Vice Adm. William McRaven says demand for the elite forces around the world continues to grow, so there often isn't enough time to train between deployments. He says the helicopters and other equipment these forces need are not available to units in the United States who are preparing to deploy.