The Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, recently released a statement of readiness in response to criticisms from some that the Army is spread too thin and financially strapped.
“Recently, there have been several public statements about the readiness of the U.S. Army. The Army has been at war for close to five years now and I am extremely proud of all of our Soldiers, civilians, and families. We have asked a lot of them, from repetitive combat tours, to transforming the Army, to expanding our training base, to resetting our combat equipment. Simply put, this is the finest Army this nation has ever put into combat. Our Soldiers’ collective efforts have been magnificent. I have testified to the facts about our readiness and I remain concerned about the serious demands we face. During my recent House Armed Services Committee testimony I made clear that the Army needed four things to address our readiness; 1) timely passage of a Defense Bill, 2) growth of the Army’s Base Budget, 3) $17.1 billion in supplemental funding for the Army’s reset in Fiscal Year 2007, and 4) $12-13 billion a year, for two to three years following this conflict, to reset the Army if we remain at the current level of consumption. The Army and the Defense Department staff are addressing these issues. The President, the Secretary of Defense and the Congress have worked very closely with the Secretary of the Army and me in the past, and I am confident we will have a way to meet the many challenges that lie ahead during these dangerous times.” — Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
I don’t think your Army has been in a better state of readiness since I joined some 19 years ago. Yes, some of our Soldiers are tired, particularly those with special skill sets and some of our equipment needs updating (hence the importance placed on reset), but I’m confident that your Soldiers are ready to respond if needed.
The Chief of Staff made some valid points about the budget and I hope that our civilian leadership antes up. The Global War on Terror that we are embroiled in, and committed to win, is much more complicated and larger in scope than World War II, yet our society and economy are not mobilized in a unified effort to defeat our enemies as was the case in 1941. I for one will vote for the candidate who makes it a priority to recognize and fund the needs of our military as we quietly drive on in defense of our nation. I’m just sayin’. Sgt Hook out.
Posted by Hook @ 2331 zulu | | Permalink
This post is filed under: Army Times & GWOT & Soap Box
