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Senior Defense officials admitted Wednesday that the military needs more troops as a result of deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, but denied that the Pentagon is using drastic measures to maintain the current force or will seek to reinstate the draft.

"Are we stretched thin with active and reserve component forces now? Absolutely," Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody told the House Armed Services Committee during a hearing.

Lawmakers on the committee introduced a plan in May to increase the active-duty Army by 30,000 soldiers and Marine Corps by 9,000 soldiers over the next three years at an estimated cost of $4 billion per year.

Cody said the Army could use 10,000 more troops each year for the next three years.

Defense officials outlined new troop rotation plans for Iraq and Afghanistan during the hearing. The plans call for about 135,000 Army and Marine troops to be deployed in Iraq through March 2005, of which about 57 percent will be active duty and 43 percent will come from the reserves.

Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, the Pentagon's director of operations, denied that the administration plans to raise troop levels after the November presidential elections.

Committee ranking member Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., said the Pentagon is taking "drastic measures to man the next rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan," including implementing broad "stop-loss" policies preventing about 45,000 soldiers from leaving their units; moving forces from South Korea; and requiring about 5,600 soldiers from the Individual Ready Reserve to return to service for the first time since the 1991 Gulf War.

"Once you've used these measures of last resort, what happens? I'm seriously worried about this," Skelton said. "I just don't think you understand the seriousness of the situation."

The Defense Department supports a temporary increase in troop levels, said David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. He told the committee, however, the department disagrees with a permanent increase because it is not clear how such a forced would be funded.

Chu also denied the Pentagon is resorting to drastic measures to maintain the current force and handle deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I would not call these measures of last resort," he said. "These are measures that keep the burden equitably shared."

Chu also denied that the Pentagon is formulating a plan to reinstate the draft. "The administration does not support resumption of the draft. There is no secret plan on this one," he asserted.

Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C, said he believes the Pentagon's plan for Iraq is lacking because it does not indicate how and when U.S. troops will be withdrawn.

Schwartz said troops will be pulled out incrementally as parts of the country become more stable. He would not give a time line, saying only that it would take "several years."

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said the Pentagon is wrong to oppose a permanent increase in troop size. "In the end, it does take people, and you are using these people pretty hard. I would urge the administration to take a look at a larger military."

COMMENTS

• If you think they would take the money and do with it what they say will do with it then you are a fool. Those right wingers in Congress will steal you blind. Don't forget, they paid Mr. Chalabi over $35,000,000 for years of lies. Why are we not hearing about that screw up anyway? You give your money and I will keep mine. Voting is the way to fix things. GovExec.com reader Posted July 12, 2004 12:31 PM
• Dave, We don't need a freedom tax - god knows we don't need the taxes we have! We should reduce government costs and programs but Congress will keep increasing these because they have to do something! The best way to solve the problem is to declare victory but that isn't going to happen. Therefore Dave, I suggest you go sign up for the military and add to the numbers in Iraq. If enough people sign up we will have a large enough military to convert everyone to the "American way". I don't see large numbers running down to sign up! The President is "drafting" reservists and guard people and letting regular troops sit in the pentagon doing little of value. The guard and reserve should be replacing the regulars in USA positions so the regulars go to Iraq! That is how the reserves and guard are supposed to work but Rummy doesn't care or understand that issue! There is no doubt in my mind that the guard and reserve guys should be called up (that is what they get paid for). However, they should get called up to the office jobs at the pentagon (and other bases in the USA) so the regulars can go fight the war that they "volunteered" for in the first place. tax payer Posted July 9, 2004 6:30 AM
• This is crazy. The President might believe that he was called upon by his God for a holy mission to liberate and occupy the entire planet, but that doesn't make it a national belief. We wouldn't need to keep increasing the size of our military force if we would limit its use to protecting our country. Mr. Bush needs to be a "war president" to justify his actions and to provide an excuse for not tending to the needs of the country he leads. As for imposing a Freedom Tax on every U.S. citizen, we already pay that via our federal income tax. Maybe it's time to start imposing a Freedom Tax on the citizens of all the countries around the world that we're occupying. According to White House statements, every one of them wants us there doing what we're doing. It's time our world police force became a fee-for-service operation. GovExec.com reader Posted July 8, 2004 2:44 PM