Wednesday - October 10, 2007

Army to Expand by 65,000 

For a nation of 300,000,000, adding just 65,000 soldiers to our army doesn't seem like a whole lot. But, at least it is a step in the right direction. And I will repeat my statement again, that Gates was a good choice to be Secretary of Defense.

Gates: Relief on Way as Army Resets, Reshapes Force

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2007 – Relief for the stressed Army is on the way in the form of an expanded force, new and reconstituted equipment, quality-of-life programs and resources, and a reduced military presence in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today at the Association of the U.S. Army convention here.

Six years of war has left the Army “out of balance,” Gates said, borrowing the term from Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr.

But pointing to a battle-hardened force that has demonstrated “courage, resourcefulness and resilience” in grueling circumstances, Gates disagreed with some assessments that the Army is “broken.”

Soldiers have served “under the unforgiving glare of the 24-hour news cycle that leaves little room for error” and in an organization “largely organized, trained, and equipped in a different era for a different kind of conflict,” Gates said. “And they’ve done all this with a country, a government, and in some cases, a Defense Department, that has not been placed on a war footing.”

Gates noted that challenges facing the military and the high pace of deployments have put a strain on soldiers and their families. While conceding that the war on terror will be a protracted fight, he assured soldiers that “relief is on the way” as the Army resets from current conflicts and reshapes itself for the future.

He pointed to signs of relief:

-- U.S. forces will serve in Iraq “for years to come,” but Gates called it “inevitable” that that troop members will drop. “Most of the serious discussion today is over how and when,” he said.

-- The Army will increase its end strength by 65,000 soldiers. Gates said he’s “prepared to support” Army plans to speed up the process, completing it in 2010 rather than 2012, “as long as we can do it without sacrificing quality.”

-- Tens of billions of dollars have been allocated to reconstitute damaged and destroyed equipment that’s being used at five times its programmed rate in a harsh environment.

-- New programs and resources are coming on line to improve soldiers’ and their families’ quality of life.

The Army was underfunded before the United States entered Iraq and has carried the bulk of the costs of the war, “both human and material,” Gates said. “So resources are needed, not only to recoup from the losses of war, but to make up for the shortfalls of the past and to invest in the capabilities of the future.”  Read more.

Author: The Machiavellian
Technorati Tags: Army Gates
Technorati Cosmos:
Technorati Watchlist:
Add this entry to: