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Bush launches drive to boost military morale, starting with pay hike

President Bush
Bush reviews troops Monday at Fort Stewart, Georgia, where he promised $5.7 billion in new military spending, including additional pay raises.  

FORT STEWART, Georgia (CNN) -- President Bush, speaking before a full U.S. infantry division Monday, promised a fiscal 2002 Defense Department budget that would help boost military morale through pay hikes and infrastructure improvements.

Standing atop a reviewing stand on the Fort Stewart parade ground, Bush said his military budget for the next fiscal year would include "$5.7 billion in new spending for the people in our military." Of that, he said, $1.4 billion would be earmarked for a pay hike over and above the raises already locked into the federal budget.

Billions more, the president said, would be set aside for renewed training and for upgrades to buildings and barracks, many of which have been woefully neglected.

"The problems from low pay to poor housing reach across our military," Bush said. "It is ungrateful, unwise, and it is unacceptable. We owe you and your families a decent quality of life. We owe you training and equipment to do your jobs. And, when we put you in harm's way, we owe you a clear mission with clear goals."

Monday was a day of firsts for the president. Bush enjoyed his first flight on Air Force One, accompanied by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He also participated in his first military review, observing troops of the 3rd Infantry Division and the 48th Brigade of the Georgia National Guard.

The 3rd Infantry has a storied history and often is one of the Army's first units to be called during a rapid deployment.

"You've been called the most highly trained and rapidly deployable mechanized force in the world," Bush told the assembly.

"I know what your service and sacrifice achieve for our nation. In a world of fast-changing threats, you give us stability."

The short address was punctuated by hearty shouts of "Hoo-ahh" from the parade stands -- a rallying cry for the 3rd Infantry's troops and their families.

Bush was to tour the post's barracks, then have lunch with the troops before jetting back to Washington.

Rumsfeld defends Pentagon review

The president's proposed $1.4 billion pay raise would be in addition to the 4.6 percent across-the-board annual pay increase required by law. That 4.6 percent increase costs roughly $2 billion a year, according to a U.S. official.

The official, who did not want to be identified, said the Bush administration had not yet decided if the $1.4 billion for additional pay raises would be an across-the-board increase or "targeted in some way."

Bush aides said former President Bill Clinton proposed $296 billion for the military for the fiscal year that begins in October. They said Bush is expected to propose $310 billion for the same period.

The roughly $15 billion above the Clinton proposal would pay for salary increases, improvements in housing, bonuses to keep men and women in the armed forces, and research and development, according to a senior Bush administration official. It would also accommodate inflation, the official said.

On Sunday, Rumsfeld defended Bush's decision to order a complete review of the Pentagon before seeking emergency funds for the armed forces.

"What it means is that the president decided to engage our brains rather than open the taxpayers' wallets immediately, and what he wants to do is to conduct a quick, prompt review," Rumsfeld said on "FOX News Sunday."

"It's not going to take years, and it's not going to take days. It'll take some months. And then we will go back to the president with our recommendations as to what we believe are the priorities and what needs to be done," Rumsfeld said.

During the presidential campaign, Bush repeatedly charged the Clinton administration with ignoring defense needs, and told the military, "Help is on the way."

Last week Bush said he would not go to Congress to seek additional money for the Pentagon until a "top to bottom" review is completed.

Lieberman: 'significant flip-flop'

The Joint Chiefs of Staff are asking for between $5 billion and $7 billion in extra money now to pay for military exercises, flying hours and spare parts.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Connecticut, the former vice presidential candidate, said Bush appeared to be backtracking on his campaign promises.

"It could well be the first significant flip-flop of the Bush administration," he told CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

Bush aides said, however, the president promised to make a full military review the first order of business if he made it to the Oval Office, and that he is just sticking with what he said he would do.

On Tuesday, Bush travels to Norfolk, Virginia, to talk about "transforming" the military, and modernizing its weapons and missions.

On Wednesday, he will be in Charleston, West Virginia, focusing on the role of reservists. Thursday, he heads to the State Department to highlight his commitment to pursue what he calls a "clear, consistent and decisive foreign policy."

The president rounds out the week with the first international trip of his presidency, a one-day visit to Mexico to meet with President Vicente Fox.

CNN's Ian Christopher McCaleb contributed to this report.



RELATED STORIES:
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Bush defense funding decision under fire
February 9, 2001

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