Army Statement on Readiness and the Costs of War
July 26, 2006
The following is a statement from the Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, in light of recent statements about the U.S. Army's readiness and financial situation during war: “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
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For more information, please contact: Paul Boyce, U.S. Army Public Affairs, 703-697-2564
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