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| Gates expects to approve Army expansion |
| 2007-09-28 11:26:36 |
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(has been browse 266 times)
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| The Marine Corps also is expanding for the same reason.
Geren said the Army now sees a need to accelerate its growth plan, as strains on troops continue to mount. He said the Army estimates it will cost an extra $2.7 billion to $2.8 billion — mainly in added personnel costs — to accomplish the 74,000 increase in four years rather than five.
"We have concluded that we could expedite the growth by a year, and that would reduce stress on the force," Geren said.
The Army secretary also said that one of the key lessons from the Iraq war is that the proper role of private contractors in a war zone needs to be examined more fully. He noted the controversy that has arisen over accusations against Blackwater security contractors in connection with the killing of 11 Iraqis on Sept. 16 in Baghdad. Those contractors were working for the State Department, not the U.S. military, but Geren said it highlighted an issue that needs closer scrutiny.
Geren said the Army has put Jacques Gansler, who was the Pentagon's technology chief from 1997-2001, in charge of an independent commission that is studying the role of private contractors in war. The study is due to be completed at the end of October, he said.
(This version CLARIFIES that proposed expansion is for the entire Army, not just active-duty force; corrects that growth target for active force is 547,000.) |
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