Army size to grow by 22,000, Gates says
The defense chief cited the stress of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in announcing the temporary increase.
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced yesterday that the size of the Army was being increased temporarily by 22,000 soldiers to help meet the needs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other missions.
This is the second time since 2007 that the military has determined it does not have a large enough force. Gates had already increased the size of the Army and Marine Corps shortly after taking the Pentagon job.
The Army currently has a troop strength of 547,000.
Gates noted that while progress in Iraq would lead to a reduction in the number of troops there, he said more troops were needed in Afghanistan because of the worsening violence in that conflict.
He said the persistent operations in the two wars over several years had meant a steady increase in the number of troops wounded, stressed, or otherwise unable to deploy.
Also causing a shortage is the decision earlier this year to stop the unpopular practice of keeping troops beyond their enlistment dates, a practice known as "stop-loss."
"The cumulative effect of these factors is that the Army faces a period where its ability to continue to deploy combat units [with enough troops] is at risk," Gates said.
"This is a temporary challenge that will peak in the coming year and abate over the course of the next three years," Gates told a Pentagon news conference.
Gates said he would not seek additional money for the extra troops in the 2009 and 2010 fiscal-year budgets.
"This decision will result in additional tough choices for the department," he said. "However, I'm convinced that this is an important and necessary step to ensure that we continue to properly support the needs of our commanders in the field while providing relief for our current force and their families."
Gates also said it was "not inevitable" that more U.S. troops would be needed in Afghanistan beyond the 68,000 expected to be there by the end of the year.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who took over as commander for all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan last month, is nearing the end of a 60-day review of what is needed there.
The former U.S. commander had said he needed 10,000 troops in addition to the 68,000. The White House put off that decision until year's end.