[Vision2020] Gates Calls for 92,000 More Soldiers, Marines

[Tom Hansen]

>From the American Forces Press Service -

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Gates Calls for 92,000 More Soldiers, Marines

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2007 - The active-duty Army and Marine Corps will grow
by 92,000 personnel over the next five years, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
said during a White House news conference today. 

"The President announced last night that he would strengthen our military
for the long war against terrorism by authorizing an increase in the overall
strength of the Army and Marine Corps," Gates said. "I am recommending to
him a total increase in the two services of 92,000 soldiers and Marines over
the next five years." 

The breakout is 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines. 

The increase will make permanent the 30,000 temporary increase in Army
end-strength and 5,000 increase in the Marine Corps. Then the services will
increase in annual increments of 7,000 for the Army and 5,000 for the Marine
Corps. 

The Army has a current end-strength of 512,400, with the Marines at 180,000.
Under Gates' proposal, the Army's end-strength will grow to 547,000 and the
Marines to 202,000. 

"We should recognize that while it may take some time for these new troops
to become available for deployment, it is important that our men and women
in uniform know that additional manpower and resources are on the way,"
Gates said. 

The increase will give soldiers and Marines more "dwell time" at home,
officials said. Currently, units are on close to a one-to-one deployment to
dwell time schedule. The increase in end-strength will reduce the stress on
deployable active duty personnel. 

Army and Marine officials said the services cannot grow forces overnight.
Currently, the active duty Army recruits 80,000 young Americans each year
with the Marines bringing in 39,000. 

Recruiting officials said that right now, only three of 10 young men and
women in the 19-14 year old cohort meet the standards to enlist in the
military. 

Those young men and women have a lot of demands for their services, an Army
official said, and incentives for enlisting and for service may need to be
"plussed-up" to encourage these people to enlist. The services also may need
to put more recruiters on the street. 

Training the individuals in the proper military occupational specialties is
also a potential choke-point. Both the Army and Marine Corps training
establishments have some growth potential, and can probably expand to handle
the influx, officials in both services said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

***************************************************

"Seldom, if ever, has a war ended leaving the victors with such a sense of
uncertainty and fear -- with such a realization that the future is obscure
and that survival is not assured."

- Edward R. Murrow

***************************************************