The development comes as outgoing Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker has said the troop increase in Iraq is putting a strain on the U.S. military and could be far larger than announced. Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday, General Schoomaker called the figure of 21,000 more troops “the tip of the iceberg.” U.S. commanders have requested an additional 2,500 troops to embed with Iraqi forces. Another 6,000 soldiers could be called up to provide support to U.S. combat brigades. Schoomaker says he has voiced concerns to the administration because the troop increase would further deplete the readiness of combat units.