Rumsfeld allows more troops in Army
 |
Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, right, talks with a member of the North Carolina National Guard during a mid-January training exercise.
Story Tools
SPECIAL REPORT
|
|
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS
|
Follow the news that matters to you. Create your own alert to be notified on topics you're interested in.
Or, visit Popular Alerts for suggestions.
|
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has granted the U.S. Army permission to add 30,000 troops temporarily to its congressionally approved limit of 482,000, Pentagon officials said Thursday.
The increase will last about four years, the Army chief of staff said.
The Army is already above that limit by 11,000 troops because of "stop-loss" orders keeping soldiers from leaving the service during military action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those troops count toward the newly authorized 30,000, which will bring Army troop strength to 512,000.
The Army, as part of its transformation effort, is expanding the number of brigades from 33 to 48.
Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff, told Congress Wednesday the increase is expected to last about four years, and that the Army hopes to build strength through financial incentives and recruiting.
He said the additional troops are part of an effort to reduce the strain on the Army, given the pace of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Schoomaker emphasized the temporary nature of the additions as part of a transition toward a stronger, but not permanently larger, Army.
The strategy will place more combat focus on the brigades, shifting it somewhat away from the division level which will remain at 10.
Some in Congress are supporting legislation to permanently increase the size of the U.S. military, a step Rumsfeld opposes.
