FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2009
MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Sadosky
Sen. Hutchison Co-Sponsors Legislation to Add 30,000 New Army Soldiers By 2012
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) cosponsored an amendment to increase the U.S. Army’s active-duty force by 30,000 soldiers by 2012. The amendment authorizes the Secretary of Defense to add these additional troops, which will relieve stress on our military personnel overseas.
“We are wearing out the National Guard and Reserve forces through constant deployments,” Sen. Hutchison said. “They are doing a great job, but they are being stretched to the point of breaking because we don’t have enough active forces. This legislation will give the Secretary of Defense the authority to augment our active duty Army personnel by 30,000 troops over the next three years, which will improve the Army’s operational capacity and relieve some of the stress on our military personnel and their families.”
The amendment provides the Secretary of Defense the authority to increase the Army’s active-duty end strength for fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012 by 30,000 additional soldiers. If the Secretary exercises this authority, these additional troops will relieve stress on United States military personnel at a time when the total number of deployed soldiers is increasing.
At a recent hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, General James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the Defense Department leadership is now weighing an increase in Army end strength by 15,000 to 25,000 in fiscal year 2010. Unless this amendment passes, the Secretary of Defense will not have the authority he needs to do so.
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