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| Wilson Welcomes Army Plan to Expand |
January 28, 2004 |
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Albuquerque, NM – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today welcomed the U.S. Army’s statement that 30,000 more troops are needed on active duty than are currently authorized.
Wilson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is a proponent of more active troops to relieve the strain on Guard and Reserve forces while prosecuting the War on Terrorism.
“I welcome today’s statement by the Army Chief of Staff that 30,000 more active troops are needed and that he has developed a plan to modernize the Army. This marks important progress and I look forward to seeing the details of that plan,” Wilson said. “I’m ready to work with the Army to ensure that our military has the support they need to win the War on Terrorism.”
During today’s House Armed Services Committee hearing, Gen. Peter Schoomaker, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, stated that a surge of 30,000 more troops must be added to for up to four years, while the Army recognizes and maintains extensive worldwide commitments.
Wilson believes that troop strength and rotation issues are among the most important responsibilities facing lawmakers in 2004. She is concerned that the military is overly reliant on Guard and Reserve forces for the War on Terrorism, and has called for an increase in the size of the military and a reassessment of the active/reserve mix.
Wilson is concerned that military readiness will be damaged if troop strength and rotation issues are not resolved.
Testifying to the Committee were Gen. Schoomaker; Gen. Michael Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corps; Lt. Gen. Norton Schwartz, USAF, Director for Operations; and Lt. Gen. James Cartwright, USMC, Director for Force Structure, Resources and Assessment.
Wilson (R-NM) and Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) sent a letter to the President in November 2003 urging that these issues be addressed in the President’s FY05 budget. The Wilson-Cooper letter was signed by more than one-fourth of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including 55 of 61 members of the House Armed Services Committee. The President’s budget will be sent to Congress in early February.
“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. “We need to be able to sustain this effort over the long haul.”
“Our Guard and Reserve are doing a fantastic job performing the missions the country has asked them to do, but it’s time to consider whether we are asking them to do too much,” Wilson says. “Committing to more active troops in this next year will let our men and women in the military know that help is on the way. We cannot risk large numbers of mid-level people deciding to get out, because they cannot be replaced quickly. Master Sergeants are not simply hired, they have to be grown.”
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