Secretary of Defense Robert Gates today announced his intentions to request more troops for Afghanistan, and to provide for relief of some who have been in the field longer than they should have been.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday announced a temporary increase in the size of the U.S. Army that would boost the force by up to 22,000 troops for three years.

He told reporters at a news briefing that the increase, intended to cope with strains from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, would raise the total strength of the Army to 569,000 soldiers.

“The Army faces a period where its ability to deploy combat units at acceptable fill rates is at risk,” Gates told reporters. “This is a temporary challenge which will peak in the coming year and abate over the course of the next three years.”

Full Article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090720/ts_nm/us_usa_military_army

Note to “Arianna” and “Markos”: Where is the left wingnuts blasting the Obama administration for this “war effort”? Why are you not calling for his impeachment?

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