EXTENDING COMBAT TOURS IN IRAQ: Austin Bay comments. When we talked to Army Secretary Francis Harvey about recruitment, retention, and combat stress issues he sounded pretty positive, but I was worried then and I remain concerned. The latest National Journal has an article suggesting that strains are worse than Harvey allowed, and that higher-ups in the military don’t want to say so. It seems like a bad time to play games with — and pork up — the supplemental appropriations bill. Perhaps some of that sugar-beet money should go to equipment and retention bonuses.