Thirty–four military and national security specialists,
including two retired Army generals representing “Project for
the New American Century” have asked Congress for more troops.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R–Tenn.,
Minority Leader Harry Reid, D–Nev., House Speaker Dennis
Hastert, R–Ill., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,
D–Calif., they stated that “demands of the ongoing missions
in the greater Middle East, along with our continuing defense
and alliance commitments elsewhere in the world, are close
to exhausting current U.S. ground forces.” They cited a
statement made last month by Lt. Gen. James Helmly, Army
Reserve chief, that “overuse” in Iraq and Afghanistan could
be leading to a “broken force.” They concluded: “It is our
judgment that we should aim for an increase in the active
duty Army and Marine Corps, together, of at least 25,000
troops each year over the next several years.”