Free Republic

The Army will grow to 510,000 soldiers over the next four years as a temporary measure, a senior Army official said today. The official briefed the press on background after Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker told Congress Jan. 28 that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has authorized the Army to exceed end strength limits by 30,000. The increase is allowed under emergency authorities Congress granted the Defense Department. "One of the advantages of being an Army at war is that war focuses us," said the senior Army official. The focus gives the Army the opportunity to rebalance and...

The Army chief of staff "adamantly opposes" an end- strength increase to the size of his service. Gen. Peter Schoomaker told the House Armed Services Committee today that an unfunded end-strength increase "puts readiness at risk, it puts training at risk, it puts modernization at risk, it puts transformation at risk – and that's why I'm resisting it." Many in Congress believe the Army is stressed with worldwide operations. One proposal calls for adding two more combat divisions. Another calls for a 40,000-man increase in the Army, while other, more general proposals just call for end-strength increases. Schoomaker agrees the...