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| Wilson Letter Steps Up Call to Boost Troop Strength |
October 06, 2003 |
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| Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today stepped up her recent call to bolster the size of the Armed Forces by sending a letter to the Defense Secretary co-signed by the HASC Chairman, Ranking Member and a total of 58 House members.
Wilson is calling for bulking up the Army by two active divisions and reassessing the active/reserve mix. Wilson chairs the House Policy Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. The letter was signed by 51 of 61 members of the House Armed Services Committee.
Last week, at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, in which witnesses included Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, Wilson called for major adjustments in the military to fight a sustained War on Terrorism, including:
• Increasing the size of the military by 90,000 to 150,000 troops, centering the additional strength in the U.S. Army.
• A new Civilian Skills Corps comprised of non-military specialists to supplement the military as needed.
• An expansion of Special Operations Forces from approximately 35,000 to 50,000 people.
“The War on Terror will define this generation of men and women serving in the military, just as the Cold War defined my generation of service,” Wilson says. “This new enemy will change the way our men and women in uniform are selected, organized, trained, assigned and supported.”
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