Pentagon seeks $20B to grow Army, Corps

[unhappycamper]

Pentagon seeks $20B to grow Army, Corps
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Feb 1, 2008 21:25:43 EST

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is seeking more than $20 billion in its 2009 budget to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps as the military struggles to fight wars on two fronts, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The proposed budget, which will be unveiled Monday, will call for $15.5 billion to boost the size of the Army by 7,000 soldiers, to a total of 532,400. And it will propose spending $5 billion to add 5,000 Marines to the Corps, for a total of 194,000.

Separately, the budget will call for nearly $11 billion to cover the costs of training, recruiting and retention.

Both services have been strained by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, prompting Pentagon leaders to seek money to increase recruiting and bonuses in a broad effort to add soldiers and Marines.

The funding is part of the Defense Department’s overall $515 billion request for the budget year beginning Oct. 1 that President Bush will send to Congress. That is a $35 billion — or a 7.5 percent increase over this year’s funding level.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_pentagon_budget_080201/

[lligrd]

1. Someone Should Let The Pentagon In On The Secret

that we are broke.