Seek Additional $1.4 Billion to Grow Army
INSIDE DEFENSE
July 20, 2009 -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates has approved a temporary increase in the size of the Army -- a three-year, 22,000-soldier boost designed to provide relief to a service stressed from fighting two wars -- and promised to finance a $1.1 billion down payment on this end-strength increase by cutting existing programs from the fiscal years 2009 and 2010 budgets.
The end-strength increase -- which would not be used to form new combat units but to provide a pool of soldiers to support planned combat rotations and would bring the total size of the Army to 569,000 -- would be paid for in part by identifying offsets in programs that are currently planned, Gates told reporters at the Pentagon today.
“I am mindful that during this period of financial crisis, this decision will result in additional tough choices for the department, calling to mind my comments in the past about things that we don't need creating problems for us in the areas that we do need,” Gates said this afternoon in announcing the decision.
He added: “This is a zero-sum budget, money for one thing as opposed to another; there has to be an offset.”
Gates said the Pentagon would seek permission from Congress to reprogram $100 million in the final months of the current fiscal year which ends Sept. 30 to support immediate Army growth. In fiscal year 2010, the Pentagon will seek to shift $1 billion from lower-priority programs to pay for these new Army personnel costs.
“I've told the president and the Hill that we need their support, obviously, for reprogramming, but we will absorb those costs within our current topline,” the defense secretary said.
The total bill for the 22,000-soldier boost over three years is approximately $2.5 billion, according to an Army official familiar with the service proposal Gates approved.
“The department will not seek additional funds for fiscal years 2009 or 2010 to implement this decision and it will work together with the [White House Office of Management and Budget] to put together the necessary fiscal program in the remaining two years,” Gates said.
The Army expects to finance half of the FY-10 bill from within its current topline, and the balance would come from other Pentagon accounts that are yet to be determined, according to the service official.
Because the Defense Department is seeking only temporary authority for these additional troops, the Obama administration plans to ask Congress to consider this a war cost financed outside the Pentagon's annual base budget request, according to the official.
Key lawmakers quickly responded to the Pentagon's announcement.
“While Congress has authorized increasing the size of the military for several consecutive years, I commend Secretary Gates for accelerating plans to increase the size of the Army,” Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. “This important step will help reduce the strain on the overall force and help address readiness concerns more quickly than we had anticipated. It is the right thing to do. “
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who has pushed for the Army to grow by 30,000 troops, also applauded the move.
"I commend Secretary Gates for making this decision, which will provide much-needed relief to our brave soldiers and their families," Lieberman said. "I have already introduced an amendment to give Secretary Gates the new authority he will need to add up to 30,000 additional soldiers, and I call upon my colleagues to vote to support our troops this week." -- Jason Sherman
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