Pentagon eyes plan to increase Army by 30,000

[laststeamtrain]

Pentagon eyes plan to increase Army by 30,000

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 22 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is considering a plan to add 30,000 soldiers to the Army to bolster a force depleted by a growing number of troops who are wounded, stressed or for other reasons cannot deploy with their units.

Struggling to wage wars on two fronts, the Army says it needs a temporary increase in order to fill vacancies in units heading to the battlefront.

The 547,000 member active duty force was beefed up by 65,000 in recent years, but military leaders say it hasn't been enough to make up for the roughly 30,000 soldiers who — at any one time — are injured, pregnant, suffering from post-traumatic stress or health problems, or have been assigned to other jobs.

Military leaders have been warning Congress that the problem has been getting worse, as the number of soldiers unable to return to the battlefield has increased by as much as 3,000 in the last several years, according to Gen. Pete Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff.

<More>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_growing_the_army

[prostomulgus]

1. There's a simpler solution.

Get 'em all out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and any other non-US territory. That will solve the problem without ruining more lives and we can save money in the bargain. It's a win-win.

[G_j]

3. exactly!

welcome to DU!

[ColbertWatcher]

2. By ending DADT(DP)? n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Cannon Fodder needed for lost wars! Good pay and a nice funeral!