When I was listening to General Richard Cody or some other member of the Joint Chiefs talking about the need to call up these musicians after being questioned by a Democatic congressman (thank you, CSPAN), I couldn't believe the answer.

The bands are being stressed quite a bit. They do an awful lot of burial services.

Thankfully, we're not having that many funerals in this unfortunate war (most are for WWII vets). I wonder what the hell the Army did during WWI when we had battles where over a million soldiers (from each side) were killed? Comparatively the war in Iraq is a picnic. However, if we can't prosecute the "War on Terror" without 15 previously discharged band members, we're in a lot of trouble.

WE'RE NOT ON A MISSION FROM GOD