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U.S. Military Stretched by Hurricanes

The emergency deployment last month of more than 70,000 U.S. troops for disaster relief on the U.S. Gulf Coast has exacerbated strains on a military already severely taxed by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita sparked one of the biggest-ever mobilizations of American military forces -- National Guardsmen and active-duty soldiers -- for natural disasters.

Tensions have arisen over the length of disaster duty for military forces -- especially the active - duty units -- with disputes among commanders over when troops, aircraft and ships can be released to catch up with demanding training and deployment timetables, military officials said.