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US Army to Add 22K Soldiers

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 21, 2009 2:16 AM CDT

(Newser) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates is temporarily boosting the Army's ranks with 22,000 new soldiers, reports the Army Times. The increase, which follows a permanent increase of 65,000, will reduce the strain on the forces over the next three years, according to Gates. The hike "will be used to ensure that our deploying units are properly manned and not to create new combat formations," Gates said at the Pentagon yesterday.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

The Army's active-duty strength will increased to 569,000 from its current 547,400. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The end of the stop-loss program, which required troops to stay on beyond their enlistment contracts, is stretching deployment levels beyond capacity, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

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This announcement is unrelated to any future considerations for additional troops in Afghanistan. This is strictly about the fact that the Army is under considerable stress as it is now. - Geoff Morrell, spokesman for
Defense Secretary Robert Gates

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 3 comments

kokuaguy

Jul 21, 2009 8:22 AM CDT

Dang, I guess it's too late for this after all. It's just so much fun to get my licks in b4 C_k, CS, Ctx, gdwgs, etc. wake up with the fighting cocks.

kokuaguy

Jul 21, 2009 8:20 AM CDT

Shoulda taken a couple seconds to proofread it too !!! ; ^(

kokuaguy

Jul 21, 2009 8:18 AM CDT

Boy, that 21st Century Great Depression is coming no handy. Unlimited cannnon fodder is just one of the many benefits ... he'll probably not need to accept criminal offenders and high school dropouts any longer too. (Maybe I'd better actually read the summary before postin this one -- yup, it's oakey doakey.

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Pentagon • Robert Gates • US military • US troops • US Army • troop levels

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