Rumsfeld Leaves Army To Ask For Bigger Budget, More Equipment On Its Own...

The New York Times October 7, 2006 at 02:48 PM
READ MORE: Afghanistan, Iraq

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is allowing the Army to approach White House budget officials by itself to argue for substantial increases in resources, a significant divergence from initial plans by Mr. Rumsfeld and his inner circle to cut the Army to pay for new technology and a new way of war.

With its troops and equipment worn down by years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army appears certain to receive a huge spike in its share of the Pentagon's budget request when it goes to Congress early next year. Significantly, increases to the size of the Army made by Congress since 2001, amounting to 30,000 troops, have become a permanent fixture of the force, military and Congressional officials say. Beyond that, the Army is discussing internally whether it should expand by tens of thousands more, as some in Congress have long advocated.

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