No Furloughs for Christmas, Gates Says

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - The $70 billion in emergency funds approved this week by Congress have sidestepped the need for the Army to send out furlough notices for now, but that money won't last long, the Pentagon's top official said today. "There will be no furlough notices sent out in the holiday season," Gates said. But, "absent timely congressional action in the new year, we will again face the risk of running out of money," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said at a news briefing.

"The department welcomes this step, however it is important to note that it represents only a partial solution," he said.

Gates said officials are still analyzing the bill, but overall DoD received less than half of the president's $189.3 billion request.

Above the $55.7 billion needed to continue fighting, the emergency appropriation will provide money for military pay and benefits, replacing and repairing combat equipment, and funds for Iraqi and Afghan security forces, according to DoD officials.

It will not, however, provide money needed to pay U.S. troops for the full year, and operating funds will run out again in the spring, officials said.

Gates said today that funding the department in "fits and starts" effects planning and puts procurement and training for deploying troops at risk.

"I only hope that next year we can all come together and move quickly to provide the remaining funds to troops," Gates said.

On a more personal note, Gates acknowledged that the last-minute action to approve funding caused stress among the Defense Department work force.

"I realize and regret that in the last few weeks we have created anxiety and uncertainty for (the civilian work force). I hope we don't have to face a replay of this situation again this spring. But they can rest assured this department treasures them and will not take any action affecting them unless it absolutely must," Gates said.

This week is Gates' one-year anniversary as secretary. In the briefing he discussed progress made through the year, and challenges ahead.

"The war is far from over, and we must protect and build on the gains earned with the blood of our military, our allies and our Iraqi partners," Gates said.

In Iraq, 2008 could see as few as 10 brigade combat teams left in Iraq, Gates said. Plans are for the first five to return home by July. The first leaves the country this month.

If the security situation in Iraqi remains stable, five more could return home by the end of the administration, Gates said.

"My hope has been that the circumstances on the ground will continue to improve in a way that ... will allow a continuation of the drawdowns at roughly the same pace as the first half of the year," Gates said.

"That balance of the capacity of the Iraqi security forces to bear the security burden, the efforts and capacity of the provincial governments to provide services, and finally the ability of the national government -- all of these things are going to have to be weighed by Ambassador (Ryan C.) Crocker and General (David H.) Petraeus ... when they make their recommendations to the president," Gates said, referring to the U.S. ambassador to Iraq and the commander of coalition forces in Iraq.

Gates cautioned that any troop movements would be dependent on conditions in Iraq and based on recommendations by senior military commanders there. "It will be completely dependent on the circumstances on the ground," he said.

Gates said the main challenges in Iraq will be sustaining this year's security gains and encouraging legislative and economic progress in the region. While the performance of the Iraqi government ministries is somewhat uneven, Gates said, the Ministry of Finance is doing well, and macroeconomics in Iraq "look pretty good."

Also, he said, much of the funding for provincial reconstruction is coming from the central government.

In Afghanistan, forces have inflicted heavy losses on the Taliban, launched a comprehensive reconstruction effort and strengthened civic institutions and security forces, Gates said.

But, Afghanistan remains threatened by ruthless extremists and destructive narcotics trade, he added. "NATO's efforts to rebuild and secure the country must be sustained and expanded into next year and beyond," Gates said.

Gates said that some of the recent spike in violence in that country is due to operations in new areas. Forces have just recently taken control of the last town remaining under Taliban control.

He said challenges there included sustaining recent successes, hanging on to areas already cleared, creating conditions for further economic development, and adding capacity to the Afghan security forces. The secretary said that NATO was going to examine "more creative ways" for countries that are unable to provide combat troops to help. Some could help with funding or provide experts for reconstruction teams or provide police training in secured areas.

"We are going to try and be more creative in terms of finding ways for people to do more within the framework of the political realities of the different countries," Gates said.

When questioned about the U.S. possibly adding more troops to the country, Gates said there is not a need for a large number of additional troops. Based on commander's reported shortfalls in the country, the need would only be about 7,500 troops, with half of those serving as police trainers, he said.

"We will be looking at the requirements ourselves, and we will be talking with our allies. But there is clearly ... no requirement for a substantial plus-up of forces in Afghanistan to accomplish (the) mission," Gates said.

About 26,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan. More than 40 countries are supporting operations there, 39 of which are part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force. About 41,700 ISAF troops are in Afghanistan.

Congressional Report Confirms Furlough Predictions

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 12, 2007 - A Congressional Research Service report confirms the Defense Department estimate for when the Army and Marine Corps will run out money and be forced to furlough civilians and shutter bases. The report, released Dec. 6, says the Army will run out of operations and maintenance money by mid-February, and the Marine Corps will run out of funds a month later. Amy Belasco, Stephen Daggett and Pat Towell wrote the report, titled "How Long Can the Defense Department Finance FY2008 Operations in Advance of Supplemental Appropriations?"

The service, a part of the Library of Congress, affirmed the DoD projections. The report says that the Army and Marine Corps may be able to push that date back a bit by transferring funds and slowing down spending. "These measures would, however, reduce remaining financial flexibility and may disrupt day-to-day operations," the report says. And even these steps will only delay the inevitable for a couple of weeks.

The president requested $189.3 billion for war on terror supplemental funds. Congress approved about $17 billion for mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, but the rest of the funds are tied up in a disagreement between Congress and the president over a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.

Without the supplemental funds, the Army will be forced to curtail training and shutter many bases. The service also will be forced to furlough about 100,000 civilian employees and lay-off about 100,000 contractors. Furlough notification letters will go out to unions and employees beginning next week, DoD officials said.

"The Defense Department may be able to sustain operations longer by invoking the Feed and Forage Act or by using novel, unprecedented measures, such as assigning the Navy and Air Force to pay costs of Army operations overseas," the report says.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters today that the department already is using reprogramming authority as much as it can. "It would require Congress to authorize more reprogramming authority than they already have," he said.

"But the real danger is, if you use up all the Navy and Air Force operations and maintenance budgets, what you do is start to chip away at what I would call the strategic capability of this nation in terms of being able to provide capability for other contingencies around the world," he said. "With a fairly committed Army and Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan, it would be a dangerous thing to have the Navy and Air Force unable to operate and provide basic strategic reserve we have."

Congress is scheduled to adjourn on Dec. 21. If it does not reach an agreement on funding, the legislation will not be considered until after Congress reconvenes, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 15.

Army Civilians Could Receive Furlough Notices by Christmas

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 4, 2007 - Some Army civilian employees may get layoff notices before Christmas, because $178 billion in emergency funds have not yet been approved to continue the war on terror, a senior Defense Department official said today. President Bush called on Congress twice publicly this week to pass an emergency funding bill, but has vowed to veto any bill that imposes a mandatory troop withdrawal date.

Some members of Congress have responded by saying the Pentagon has funds to continue operations through March, but a Pentagon spokesman today said furlough notices for Army employees could start going out the middle of this month. The employees would not be furloughed until after Christmas, but some contracts require a 60-day notice if the furlough will be longer than 60 days, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters at the Pentagon. The department is using fiscal 2008 funds – not part of the supplemental funding needed – to keep operations going in the war on terror, he explained.

"Anyone who thinks that this is not a serious situation is simply misinformed or is ignoring the facts. We have tried to be as matter of fact as we can on this, but the reality is that we are using our program budget for FY 08 ... to fund our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan," Whitman said.

DoD is using its readiness funding, or operations and maintenance accounts, which typically pay for training, supplies, and maintenance of weapons and equipment.

Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates requested to shift $3.7 billion from Navy and Air Force payrolls and an $800 million excess in the working capital fund to Army and Marine Corps operations.

If funding continues to be delayed, it could affect as many as 200,000 civilian employees and contractors, DoD officials reported earlier.

"In mid-February, the Army will run out of all of their O&M funding for the entire year, because they will have spent it on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. That will require some fairly significant and harsh actions by the department, specifically the Army. And the Marine Corps is only about a month behind them," Whitman said.

Military installations soon will have to shut down operations and furlough civilian employees, terminate contracts, and move into what Whitman called a "warm" status.

"Facts are the facts. We're trying to keep people as well informed as we can, but anybody that thinks that we have sufficient funding to go beyond what we have stated is just either misinformed or electing not to examine the facts," he said.

Furloughs, Closings Possible Without Supplemental Funding, Gates Warns

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 15, 2007 - There is no "wiggle room" in the Defense Department budget, and Congress must pass the emergency supplemental spending bill as soon as possible to avoid halting operations and furloughing civilian employees, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. During a Pentagon news conference, Gates reinforced the message he delivered to Congress yesterday, when he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Capitol Hill and briefed members of both houses.

Gates strongly urged Congress to pass a global war on terror funding bill that the president would sign, he said.

The secretary said the president's signing of the 2008 National Defense Appropriations Act into law earlier this week caused some misperceptions. One misperception is that the Defense Department can continue funding troops in the field for an indefinite period of time through accounting maneuvers -- "that we can shuffle money around the department."

"This is a serious misconception," the secretary said.

The Defense Department has significantly less funding flexibility than it had in the spring, he said. In the fall of 2006, Congress provided a bridge fund of $70 billion until passage of the full war supplemental bill, which did not pass until late May 2007.

This year, the Defense Department was operating under a continuing resolution. "Now that the regular appropriations bill has been enacted, we are left with no bridge fund and only our base budget to support normal war operations," Gates said. "Further, Congress has provided very limited flexibility to deal with this funding shortage."

Restrictions on the budget mean that the department can transfer only $3.7 billion, which amounts to just a little over one week's worth of war expenses, he said.

All this leaves the department with only undesirable options to continue operations with the absence of a bridge fund, the secretary said.

"The path we believe is least undesirable fiscally and militarily would involve the following: The military would cease operations at all Army bases by mid-February next year," he said. "This would result in the furloughing of about 100,000 government employees and a like number of contractor employees at Army bases.

"These layoffs would have a cascading effect on depots and procurement," he continued. "Similar actions would follow for the Marine Corps about a month later."

The department must notify certain union employees 60 days in advance of any layoff or furlough, so the department will need to send the notices to affected employees in mid-December.

"If the Congress does not provide bridge funding this week on a bill the president will sign, and given the uncertainty of future action in December, by the end of this week -- as a prudent manager -- I will be obliged to take a series of anticipatory steps," Gates said.

The secretary said he will submit an urgent reprogramming request for funds to Congress. He also will direct the Army and Marine Corps to develop a plan to furlough employees, terminate contracts and prepare bases for reduced operations. "These plans would begin to be implemented in mid-December," he said.

Even if Congress acts, the president signs a bill, and the department receives $50 billion in bridge funding now, this will fund war operations only through about the end of February, Gates said.

"So we would be back in this situation immediately after the Congress reconvenes in late January," the secretary said. "The high degree of uncertainty on funding for the war is immensely complicating this task and will have tremendous consequences for this department and the men and women in uniform."

Gates said the issue before Congress is not one of principle, but pacing. He said Congress asked the president to draw down the troops in Iraq, set a date for when the drawdowns would begin, set a timetable for the drawdowns and then to transfer the security mission to Iraqis.

"The president has moved in all four of these areas: He has announced there will be drawdowns; the drawdowns have already started," Gates said. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, has announced a timetable at least for the first five brigade combat teams, and the mission of transition begins in December when the first brigade comes out, he said.

"What I told members of Congress yesterday, for those who allege that the views of the generals were not sufficiently taken into account at the front end of the war, now you have a recommendation from the commander in the field, the commander of Central Command, from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on what makes sense in terms of pacing so we don't put at risk the gains we've already made," Gates said.

"It seems to me that there ought to be some deference to those who are running the war -- the generals -- at the pace at which this drawdown should take place," the secretary said. "However one feels about how we've got to this point, the reality is we have had some significant success due to the efforts of our men and women in uniform and their sacrifices.

"We don't want to sacrifice their success," he continued. "So how do we get the next phase of this conflict right? Because the consequences of getting it wrong are potentially high."

Bush Delivers Supplemental War Funding Request to Congress

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 22, 2007 - President Bush has submitted to Congress a request for $42.3 billion in supplemental war funding. The amendment places the total funding for the global war on terrorism at $189.3 billion for fiscal 2008.

"Parts of this war are complicated, but one part is not, and that is, America should do what it takes to support our troops and protect our people," Bush said from the Roosevelt Room at the White House today. "And today I sent Congress an updated supplemental war funding request that will do just that."

Most of the supplemental funding supports day-to-day military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the president said. "The bill provides for basic needs, like bullets and body armor, protection against (improvised explosive devices), and mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles," he said. "It also funds training missions, vital embassy programs, improvements in Iraqi security forces, and intelligence operations that protect our troops."

The request will fund continued operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in other areas of the fight against terror.

"These are urgent military necessities, and the supplemental was prepared in close consultation with our commanders on the ground," Bush said. "This funding is what (Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, Multinational Force Iraq commander) and other military leaders say we need -- and Congress ought to give it to them."

In Afghanistan, Bush said, U.S. troops, NATO allies and Afghan forces are making gains against the Taliban and al Qaeda. In Iraq, though the campaign to provide security for the Iraqi people has been "difficult and dangerous," he said, it's producing results.

"Al Qaeda and other extremists have been driven from strongholds in places like Anbar province and parts of Diyala province," the president said. "In Baghdad, the number of Iraqi civilians murdered by terrorists and death squads is down sharply. Throughout Iraq, the number of American service members killed in September was the lowest since July 2006. And the level of violence during Ramadan was down significantly from last year."

Bush noted that last month, Petraeus said he believes successes in Iraq mean U.S. forces can maintain the same level of security with fewer American forces. "I accepted this recommendation that we not replace about 2,200 Marines who left Anbar last month," the president said. "We expect to bring home another 3,500 soldiers by Christmas. The funds in the supplemental are crucial to continuing this policy of 'return on success.' Every member of Congress who wants to see both success in Iraq and our troops begin to come home should strongly support this bill."

The supplemental spending request also includes emergency funding for other critical national security needs, Bush said. "It includes money to improve medical care for our wounded warriors," he noted. "It funds equipment repair, and upgrades the strategic readiness of the Army. It provides crucial relief for Iraqi refugees. It supports the peacekeeping mission of the United Nations in Darfur. It delivers vital assistance for our partners in Mexico and Central America, who are working to break up drug cartels, and fight organized crime, and stop human trafficking. All of these are urgent priorities of the United States, and the Congress should fund them without delay."

The supplemental request breaks the funding into four major parts: continuing the fight, reconstituting the force, enhancing forces, and emergency requests.

Continuing the fight calls for $23.8 billion. This is on top of $101.9 billion the administration requested in February. The amendment includes $6.3 billion to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the cost of the surge in Iraq.

"When we submitted the budget to Congress, it was based on the presumption of at least 15 (brigade combat teams in Iraq)," said a senior defense official, speaking on background. "Since then, obviously, we surged up an additional five (brigade combat teams). We funded that – the fiscal 2007 costs – through the emergency supplemental. This picks up from 1 October the current force structure, which is 20 (brigade combat teams), but also recognizes the fact that starting in December we will be reducing this force structure by five (brigade combat teams) by July."

It also includes $14.2 billion for force protection and research and acquisition to defeat improvised explosive devices. In this account is $11 billion for mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles used by Marines and soldiers.

"This is the next increment for fiscal 2008," the official said. "It represents the entire increment for the year. This is an additional 7,274 vehicles, which will then bring us to a total of 15,274." The entire requirement for the vehicles in fiscal 2008 will be more than $16 billion.

The continuing-the-fight account also includes $1 billion for training and equipping Iraqi security forces, $200 million for commanders' emergency response funds in Afghanistan, $1 billion for military construction, and $1 billion for military intelligence. The last includes the cost of 24 more Predator unmanned aerial vehicles.

The request also asks for $100 million for restarting Iraqi factories. "This will further reindustrialization of the Iraqi economy," the official said. "Investing in textile factories and other commercial enterprises to try and get them up on their feet. We appropriated about $50 million for this in 2007, and it's just a continuation of our efforts."

The next largest bloc of money goes to reconstituting the force. The amendment asks for $8.8 billion on top of $37.6 billion. "This is largely to address the equipment that is lost or damaged in the theater," the official said. "It's also to deal with the wear and tear on a number of our platforms."

These are mostly ground-combat systems, senior defense officials said. "In this amendment alone, we are requesting 383 Strykers, over 4,100 Humvees, over 11,000 of the family of trucks ... and over 72,000 SINCGARS radios," the official said. "This gives you a flavor of the kind of equipment we are talking about."

Enhancing forces gets a big plus-up under the amendment, with $6.4 billion on top of $1.6 billion requested previously.

Another $1 billion goes to strengthening the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. The money funds the 12-month reserve-component deployment policy and allows pre-deployment training at home station rather than at a mobilization station. "About three quarters of this funding is used to buy the training days that these troops will incur," the official said.

A total of $5.4 billion goes to restoring the force. This initiative increases equipment that "next-to-deploy" forces receive and improves military readiness by allowing deploying forces to train at battalion and brigade levels earlier in their training cycles. This account also funds equipment shortfalls in combat vehicles, communications, logistics vehicles and weapons.

Finally, additional emergency funding requests are part of the amendment package. These total $2.5 billion for fiscal 2008. The amendment calls for $800 million to enhance servicemember and family support, with $700 million going to the Army and $100 million to the Marines. "This is to provide additional money for child care centers, additional money for youth programs and to set up Warrior Transition Units and also investing in additional family readiness support assistants," he said.

It also calls for $500 million for programs for wounded, ill and injured troops. This money will improve trauma and rehabilitative care for wounded personnel, senior defense officials said. The money will pay for hiring more case workers, renovating existing facilities and building new facilities.

A total of $400 million accelerates construction of hospitals at Fort Belvoir, Va., and Bethesda, Md. The money also will speed the closure of Walter Reed Army Medical Center here by about nine months, the official said.

Finally, the request funds $800 million for fuel cost increases.

Senior defense officials urged Congress to act on the requests quickly. "The most critical things in here are for our force protection. Clearly, MRAPs are important, (as well as) the funding for additional reset items. If they delay action, that continues to reduce our readiness posture," another senior defense official said. "We're pushing for (Congress) to get as much done as possible."

Gates Urges Congress to Approve Defense Budget, Wartime Spending Request

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 9, 2007 – Delays in getting an emergency supplemental war-funding bill approved are causing disruption within the Defense Department, particularly among programs at home, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. The Army has slowed spending in numerous areas to free up money to fully fund wartime costs since President Bush vetoed war-spending legislation because it set a date for the return of combat forces from Iraq, Gates told the Senate Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee.

The bill included $93.4 billion to help fund U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the global war on terror, but stipulated that U.S. combat troops be out of Iraq by Aug. 31, 2008. It also included costs unrelated to the war.

Bush vetoed the bill because he rejects establishing a deadline for troop withdrawals, insisting that such decisions must be based on conditions in the war zone.

Gates told Congress today that delays in getting a spending bill approved are having "a growing impact here at home."

"The Army is already trying to cope with this," he said. Spending in various programs has slowed or stopped altogether, he said. Defense contracts are being withheld; hiring of civilian employees has slowed; and bases have begun resorting to month-to-month service contracts for services and supplies.

Gates noted several stopgap measures taken to close the funding gap: The Senate committee approved a $1.6 billion reprogramming from the Air Force and Navy to the Army yesterday, he said, and the Defense Department expects to make another reprogramming request within the next several days.

"That kind of a reprogramming will extend us about a week," Gates said.

Ultimately, this type of effort will stretch the Defense Department's capabilities only so far, he said.

"If we pulled out all the stops (and) used everything possible available to us, we could probably fund the war into July," Gates said. "But I would tell you, the impact on the Department of Defense in terms of disruption and cancelled contracts and programs would be huge if we had to do that."

Gates told committee members the costs of defending the country are high, but not as high as the cost of not doing so. "The only thing costlier, ultimately, would be to fail to commit the resources necessary to defend our homeland interests around the world and to fail to prepare for the inevitable threats of the future," he said.

He urged committee members to move quickly to approve the fiscal 2008 defense budget request, which includes the base budget requests as well as wartime operating costs.

Gates said the budget requests would accomplish several important objectives. Approving them would allow:

-- Modernizing and recapitalizing key capabilities, to include funding increases for the next generation of ships, strike aircraft and ground combat systems;
-- Sustaining the all-volunteer military by reducing stress on the force and improving the quality of life for troops and their families;
-- Improving readiness through additional training and maintenance, and by resetting forces following their overseas deployment;
-- Building capabilities of partner nations to combat extremists within their own borders by using new train-and-equip authorities to ultimately reduce the potential demand for U.S. troops; and
-- Funding U.S. military operations for fiscal 2008 in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the ongoing campaign against violence jihadist networks around the world.

Gates acknowledged the combined price tag of these efforts -- more than $700 billion -- gives new meaning to "sticker shock." But funding these operations is critical, he said, in light of current threats and those the country will face in the future.

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Gates: Department Will Shield Troops from Funding Shortfall

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

May 3, 2007 – The Defense Department will take "every action necessary for as long as possible," to ensure that troops fighting in Iraq are not affected by the delay in approval of its supplemental war funding, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday. The longer the supplemental funding goes unapproved, the greater the financial disruptions on the Army, but most of those will be absorbed as monies are transferred from accounts for U.S. construction, training, hiring and travel and funneled to supporting the war, Gates told Pentagon reporters.

President Bush on May 1 vetoed an emergency war-funding bill that included timelines for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

The $124 billion bill, passed by Congress last week, would have funded the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also included domestic spending measures and called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq beginning by October, with the goal of getting all combat forces out of Iraq by March 2008.

Bush called the bill unacceptable because it mandates artificial timelines for troop withdrawal, which he said would embolden the enemy and discourage the Iraqi people.

Gates responded to questions by reporters on the impact of a delay in approving supplemental funding after a briefing announcing a newly created oversight committee for wounded warrior care in the military.

He said that preset timelines for troop withdrawal would be a mistake. Insurgents would simply wait for U.S. troops to withdraw while bolstering their forces in anticipation, Gates said.

"If you pick a certain date and say the troops are coming out on a certain date, everybody basically just gets to sit back and say, 'OK, we got 90 or 100 days that we've got to wait,'" Gates said.

"All that al Qaeda and Jaysh al-Mahdi and all the rest have to do is say, 'You know, We've got X days until these guys are gone. So husband your resources. All we have to do is make the run for the money in a specific period of time,'" Gates said. "As long as there's some uncertainty about that, it seems to me that they don't have that luxury."

Gates conceded, though, that the debate over a troop withdrawal is "useful in terms of letting the Iraqis fully understand the impatience here at home and the importance of their getting on with their domestic reconciliation and the importance of the political reconciliation to the success of the enterprise in Iraq."

The president requested a $93.4 billion emergency supplemental measure in February to cover the cost of operations in the war on terror for the remainder of fiscal 2007. This was in addition to the $70 billion Congress previously had provided. The supplemental budget provides $39.3 billion to sustain warfighting operations, including supplies, support and maintenance, according to documents released by the Defense Department.

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Bush Vows to Veto War-Funding Bills with Iraq Withdrawal Provisos

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

April 27, 2007 – President Bush today repeated his pledge that he'll veto any congressional war-funding bills that stipulate a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq. Earlier this week, the U.S. House, followed by the Senate, passed war-funding bills that call for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin later this year.

"I haven't vetoed the first (House) bill yet, but I'm going to," Bush said to reporters with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his side during a news conference at the presidential compound at Camp David, Md. "And, the reason why I'm going to is because the members of Congress have made military decisions on behalf of the military."

Bush steadfastly maintains that military decisions fall under his purview as commander in chief of the armed forces, while also emphasizing that any withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq before the new Iraqi government can firmly establish itself would hurt military morale and put America in jeopardy.

"And, if the Congress wants to test my will as to whether or not I'll accept a timetable for withdrawal, I won't accept one," Bush said. "I just don't think it's in the interest of our troops."

In mid-February, additional American and Iraqi security forces began to deploy into Baghdad and western Iraq to tamp down insurgent-staged violence enough to provide a window of opportunity for the Iraqi government to get onto its feet. The deployment of U.S. forces into Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq as part of the surge is expected to be completed by June, according to U.S. military officials.

The recent congressional legislation calls for "withdrawing (U.S. forces) before we've even finished reinforcing our troops in Baghdad," Bush said. "They're sending, in my judgment, a bad message to the Iraqis and to our enemy, and, most importantly, to our military folks."

Bush said it was unfortunate that the Iraq issue "has evolved the way it has" on Capitol Hill. Nonetheless, the president emphasized that he's sticking to his guns, and will veto any war-funding legislation calling for an early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

"And, my veto will be sustained," the president told reporters.

Bush first noted at the news conference that he and the first lady had enjoyed dinner last evening with Prime Minister Abe and his wife, Akie.

After private discussions with the senior Japanese minister, Bush told reporters that the alliance between the United States and Japan "has never been stronger." Japan is the second-largest donor to the people of Iraq and it's the third-largest donor to the Afghan people, Bush pointed out.

"And, I thank you Shinzo, and I thank the people of Japan for helping these young democracies survive in a troubled world," Bush said. "I firmly believe that we're helping lay a foundation for peace for generations to come."

Abe said Japan "understands and supports U.S. efforts for the stabilization and reconstruction in Iraq, and Japan will carry on its own efforts to this same end."

The U.S.-Japan relationship "is rooted in common values, especially our commitment to freedom and democracy," Bush said, noting that he and Abe discussed possibilities for future partnership between their countries.

The two senior statesmen also "spent a lot of time talking about North Korea and our mutual desire for North Korea to meet its obligations," Bush said, referring to North Korea's pledge to jettison its nuclear weapons program.

Diplomacy is the best and wisest way to persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong Il that it's in his country's best interests to get rid of the nuclear weapons program, Bush said.

"It's his choice to make ultimately, not our choice, as to whether he honors the agreement he agreed to," Bush said of Kim Jong Il's role in negotiations over his country's nuclear weapons program.

The United States and its allies hope that Kim makes "the right choice for his country," Bush said. But, North Korea cannot continue to stall, the president pointed out.

"We've got a strategy to make sure that the pressure we have initially applied is even greater. That's our plan," Bush said.

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Bush Thanks Military Families, Urges Congress to Pass War Spending Bill

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

April 16, 2007 – President Bush thanked families of troops serving overseas for their sacrifices and praised organizations that support veterans and military families today at the White House. He also urged Congress to quickly pass an emergency war spending bill so that the troops can get the funding they need to accomplish their mission. "I appreciate very much to be in the presence of moms and dads, husbands and wives, sons and daughters of some of the finest citizens our nation has ever produced," Bush told military family members in the audience.

The president noted the challenges faced by military families during war.

"A time of war is a time of sacrifice for our nation, but especially for our military families. Being left behind when a loved one goes to war is one of the hardest jobs in our military," Bush said. "The families here today inspire our nation -- inspire them with their sense of duty and with their deep devotion to our country."

Bush also expressed his gratitude to representatives of troop-support organizations in the audience.

"I want to thank the leaders of organizations that support our military families. I appreciate your tireless work to send a clear signal that many in the United States of America support our troops," Bush said. "Each of you knows what is stake -- what is at stake in this war on terror. And I appreciate your efforts to rally our nation to support our troops, and to support the mission for which they have risked and, in some cases, have given their lives."

Bush said the troops must be given "the tools and resources they need to prevail," and he is looking forward to meeting with members of Congress April 18 to iron out differences between the administration and Congress.

The disagreement is over the fiscal 2007 Emergency Supplemental Request. The $93.4 billion request will fund operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other operations in the war on terror. Both the Senate and House versions of the supplemental have a timetable for the exit of U.S. troops from Iraq. President Bush said he will not sign any legislation with a withdrawal date.

"I think it is wrong for Congress to restrict our military commanders," Bush said. "I can understand having a difference of opinion about Iraq, but our commanders need the flexibility necessary to meet the mission. We should not be substituting political judgment for the judgment of those in our military."

Bush said honest differences over the best course in Iraq should be debated. "That's healthy," he said. "That's normal. ... But our troops should not be caught in the middle."

Bush said failure to fund the supplemental quickly will impact military readiness, and that "will mean that the readiness of our forces will suffer. This is unacceptable to me; it's unacceptable to you, and it's unacceptable to the vast majority of the American people."

The U.S. must provide its troops with the support they need to accomplish their mission, Bush said.

"We owe it to every sailor, soldier, airman, Marine in harm's way to give them the tools they need to prevail," Bush said. "That's what we owe them."

The president said he is open to trying to settle political differences in order to provide the military with the funding it needs.

"I am willing to discuss any way forward that does not hamstring our troops, set an artificial timetable for withdrawal and spend billions on projects not related to the war," he said.

Bush said the American people expect the White House and Congress to work together.

"Congress needs to put the partisanship on hold; it needs to get rid of all the politics right now and send me an emergency war spending bill that I can sign that gets our troops the support they need and gives our commanders the flexibility they need to complete this mission," he said.

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Guard Leaders Urge Solid Funding to Close Equipment, Training Gaps

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

April 11, 2007 – The National Guard force is second to none in terms of the quality of its people, but severe equipment shortfalls are keeping it from being fully ready, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told Congress today. Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum urged the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee to support the fiscal 2008 National Guard budget requests to ensure the Guard can continue serving as the country's "21st century Minutemen and -women."

Guard forces deployed overseas are "superbly equipped and superbly trained, ... and we want for nothing," Blum told the subcommittee.

But he said the situation at home isn't nearly as rosy. "It's a much different story, and it's not a good story," he said.

"The National Guard today, I am sad to say, is not a fully ready force," the general said. "Unresourced shortfalls still exist that approach $40 billion to provide the equipment and the training that I personally feel your Army and Air National Guard are expected to have to be able to respond to the citizens of the United States."

Blum introduced two Guard members who exemplify this gap.

One, an Oregon Air Guard staff sergeant who just completed a third combat tour in Iraq, returned home to his unit to train on equipment built in 1953. "Now imagine being a combat controller in a critical mission like that and operating with unreliable old equipment built in 1953," Blum told the subcommittee. "I think that says it all. So while we have the best people, we have some significant equipment challenges."

A Kansas Army Guardsman who accompanied Blum to the hearing faces an even more serious issue, he said. Returned from Iraq in November, the soldier "doesn't have a problem of old equipment," the general said. "He has a problem of no equipment."

His unit, after leaving its own equipment in Iraq for the unit that replaced them, returned home to just two Humvees, both deemed "not good enough to go to war," Blum said. "And that's the equipment he has in his unit today."

Should a tornado or other stateside disaster require a Guard mobilization, the unit's ability to respond would be minimized, "not because of the great people in it, but because of the lack of equipment that is in that unit right now," he said.

Blum said the problem has reached epidemic levels, particularly in the Army. Most of the units in the Army and Air National Guard are underequipped for the jobs and the missions they have to perform with no notice here at home," he said. "Can we do the job? Yes, we can. But the lack of equipment makes it take longer to do that job, and lost time translates into lost lives, and those lost lives are American lives."

He urged Congress to address these shortfalls, noting the defense bargain the National Guard represents. The Army Guard makes up almost 40 percent of the Army's combat, combat support and combat service support structure, but costs just 11 percent of the Army's budget, he said. Similarly, the Air Guard provides more than one-third of the Air Force capability, at just 6 percent of the Air Force's budget.

"Plus, your Army and Air National Guard are the only Department of Defense forces that can be called upon by the governors with no notice to do what is necessary right here in the zip codes where your constituents reside," he said.

Blum said these statistics demonstrate the importance of the National Guard, not only in the global war on terror, but as an on-call force ready to respond to stateside emergencies.

"This nation cannot afford the consequences of an unready Army and Air National Guard," Blum said. "A strong and properly resourced National Guard, I think, is the best credible deterrent for any of our adversaries overseas that might miscalculate and think that we are unable to respond."

Army Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, reported that recruiting and retention in the Army Guard is on the upswing since last year. "We have averaged, at a net, over 1,000 a month to our end strength," he said.

He urged Congress to provide the resources these troops need to be mission-ready, citing the newly retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker's mantra, "Don't confuse enthusiasm with capability."

"I can tell you that we have the enthusiasm," Vaughn told the senators. "The capabilities, you buy. You buy it in terms of training dollars, and you buy it in terms of equipment."

Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, the Air National Guard's vice chief, joined Blum and Vaughn in urging congressional support for the National Guard budget requests. In the midst of tremendous "churn" within the force -- much of it due to the Base Realignment and Closure process -- the Air Guard continues to operate as a highly effective force, he said.

"Your Air National Guard is ready to fight today," he said. "They are totally integrated in the United States Air Force in the global war on terror; they are fighting the away game very professionally in all theaters of the globe, and we are also providing great support here at home."

Maintaining this capability requires solid funding so the force can modernize, McKinley said. "It is extremely important to the Air National Guard that our Air Force continues to recapitalize so we can transition the 20th century Air National Guard into a highly effective combat capable 21st century Air National Guard," he said.

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'Sixteen-Star Letter' Calls for Supplemental Passage

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

April 9, 2007 – In a "16-star letter" to Congress, the services' uniformed leaders are urging a quick passage of the fiscal 2007 emergency supplemental request.
The four service chiefs, all four-star generals, signed the letter. The request will fund operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa through the end of the fiscal year.

The letter, signed by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael G. Mullen, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Marine Commandant Gen. James T. Conway, asks Congress to "expeditiously complete its work" on the supplemental.

DoD requested $93.4 billion to fund operations in the combat zones. Both the Senate and House have passed bills that provide the funding but contain amendments that call for combat troops to be out of Iraq on a certain timetable. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill containing these provisions.

The Senate has come back from recess, but the House will remain out through April 13. House and Senate negotiators must meet to reconcile the different portions of their respective bills. If the bill contains the withdrawal provision, it is "dead on arrival" at the president's desk, White House officials said.

"Without approval of the supplemental funds in April, the armed services will be forced to take increasingly disruptive measures in order to sustain combat operations," the four general and flag officers wrote in their letter. "The impacts on readiness and quality of life could be profound. We will have to implement spending restrictions and reprogram billions of dollars."

The uniformed leaders said such reprogramming is an inefficient solution that wastes money.

The spending restrictions could also slow or halt training for follow-on units. With no supplemental by April 15, the Army will be forced to consider curtailing and suspending home-station training for Army Reserve and National Guard units, DoD officials said. The service would slow the training of units slated to deploy next to Iraq and Afghanistan and would cut funding for the upgrade or renovation of barracks and other facilities that support quality of life for troops and their families. Leaders also would stop the repair of equipment necessary to support pre-deployment training, officials said.

If the supplemental funding is not passed by May 15, the Army would consider reducing depot repair work. The service also would delay or curtail the deployment of brigade combat teams for training rotations. This may force the service to extend units in Iraq or Afghanistan, officials said.

No supplemental funding would also delay forming new brigade combat teams, force the service to implement a civilian hiring freeze and prohibit new contracts and service orders, officials said.

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Bush: Delay in War Funds Will Hurt Military Readiness, Morale

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

April 3, 2007 – Further congressional delay in forwarding an appropriate emergency war spending bill to the White House will damage military readiness and morale as well as endanger the nation, President Bush told reporters today at a White House news conference. Congress's failure to fund our troops on the front lines will mean that some of our military families could wait longer for their loved ones to return from the front lines, and others could see their loved ones headed back to the war sooner than they need to," Bush said.

That scenario is "unacceptable," Bush said, noting he believes the American people would agree with him.

"Members of Congress say they support the troops. Now they need to show that support in deed, as well as in word," Bush said. Congressional debate over the conduct of the war against terrorism "shouldn't come at the expense of funding our troops," the president said.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have both passed emergency war supplemental funding bills providing funding for U.S. troops, but the money is contingent on troops being withdrawn from Iraq according to a set timetable. Each chamber's bill also contains unrelated domestic spending.

The president sent his recommended military spending bill to Congress almost 60 days ago. Bush has rejected the recent Senate and House legislation out of hand, saying he'd veto any military funding bill with set timetables for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

Bush said he'd just received an update on the U.S. troop reinforcement, or surge, to Iraq from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Two of the five additional Army brigades involved in the surge are now operating in Baghdad, Bush noted, with another now making its way into Iraq from Kuwait.

"And the remaining two brigades will deploy in April and in May," the president said. It'll be early June, he said, before all five brigades and other U.S. reinforcements are in place in Iraq.

The U.S. Army brigades already in Baghdad are having a positive effect on reducing violence there, Bush said.

"And as more of those reinforcements arrive in the months ahead, their impact will continue to grow," the president said.

The current House and Senate war spending bills "undercut the troops by substituting the judgment of politicians in Washington for the judgment of our commanders in the ground, setting an arbitrary withdrawal from Iraq, and spending billions of dollars on 'pork barrel' projects completely unrelated to the war," Bush said.

If Congress fails to forward the White House a favorable war spending bill for presidential signature by mid-April, then, "the Army will be forced to consider cutting back on equipment, equipment repair, and quality of life initiatives for our Guard and Reserve forces," Bush said.

Bush said those cuts would become necessary, "because the money would have to be shifted to support the troops on the front lines." The Army also would have to consider cutting training for stateside-assigned Guard and Reserve units, he said.

That scenario would negatively affect unit readiness and might delay the affected units' availability for missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush said.

Additionally, if Congress doesn't pass and forward a favorable war spending bill by mid-May, then potential problems would become more acute, the president said. The Army would be forced to consider slowing or freezing funding for its equipment-repair depots, Bush said, or delay training of some active-duty forces for overseas deployment.

"If this happens, some of the forces now deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq may need to be extended because other units are not ready to take their places," Bush explained. "The Army may also have to delay the formation of new brigade combat teams."

Bush then read from a letter to Congress written by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, who informed legislators of the impending funding crisis for his service: "'Without approval of the supplemental funds in April, we will be forced to take increasingly draconian measures which will impact Army readiness and impose hardships on our soldiers and their families.'"

A shortage of funds, Bush explained, would cause some stateside-based Army units to be unavailable for mobilization to Iraq and Afghanistan to replace units set for rotation back to their home bases.

The president acknowledged that some Americans are concerned about U.S. policy on Iraq, but he emphasized that failure to defeat terrorism there would doom the fledgling Iraqi democracy and endanger U.S. citizens.

American military forces serving in Iraq are providing its young government "breathing room" so that it can eventually defend and sustain itself against its enemies, Bush said.

If U.S. troops leave Iraq too early, it could become a "caldron of chaos, which would embolden" the Sunni, Shiite and other extremists who are now trying to tear the country apart, Bush said. Terrorists could then use Iraq as a safe haven, he pointed out, from which to launch new attacks against America.

Bush said his primary presidential task is to protect the American people.

"And, I firmly believe that if we were to leave (Iraq) before the job is done, the enemy would follow us here," the president said.

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Supplemental Funds Vital for Reserves, Deployed Troops

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

April 2, 2007 – Army reserve-component training and equipment reset will be immediately affected if an emergency supplemental funding request isn't signed into law by April 15, Defense Department officials said here today. Further, there will be serious repercussions for deployed servicemembers if the supplemental funding isn't approved by May 15, the officials said.

Both the Senate and House bills have passed bills that provide the funding but contain amendments that call for combat troops to be out of Iraq on a certain timetable. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill containing these provisions.

During his weekly radio address March 31, Bush said the bills undercut U.S. troops, and that they "would substitute the judgment of politicians in Washington for that of our generals on the ground."

He said the bills impose restrictive conditions on U.S. military commanders. "Each bill would also set an arbitrary deadline for surrender and withdrawal in Iraq, and I believe that would have disastrous consequences for our safety here at home," he said.

The veto pledge echoed remarks the president made in a March 28 speech. "If either version comes to my desk, I'm going to veto it," the president said to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Close votes on the bills in each chamber indicate that neither the House nor the Senate would be able to override a presidential veto, DoD legislative affairs officials said.

The Senate is on recess through April 9, and the House is out through April 13. House and Senate negotiators must meet to reconcile the different portions of their respective bills. If the bill contains the withdrawal provision, it is "dead on arrival" at the president's desk, said White House officials.

With no supplemental funds, the Army will be forced to consider curtailing and suspending home station training for Army Reserve and National Guard units, DoD officials said. The service would slow the training of units slated to deploy next to Iraq and Afghanistan and would cut funding for the upgrade or renovation of barracks and other facilities that support quality of life for troops and their families.

Leaders also would stop the repair of equipment necessary to support pre-deployment training, officials said.

If the supplemental funding is not passed by May 15, the Army would consider reducing depot repair work. The service would delay or curtail the deployment of brigade combat teams for training rotations. This may force the service to extend units in Iraq or Afghanistan, officials said.

No supplemental funding would also delay forming new brigade combat teams, force the service to implement a civilian hiring freeze and prohibit new contracts and service orders officials said.

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President Requests Spending Bill Without Deployment Restrictions, Deadlines

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

March 25, 2007 – President Bush yesterday urged Congress to send him an emergency war-spending bill that funds overseas troop operations, but contains no deployment restrictions or deadlines for a withdrawal of forces from Iraq. "One of the most urgent legislative priorities is to fund our troops fighting the war on terror," Bush said during his weekly national radio address. "I've asked Congress to pass an emergency war spending bill that gives our troops what they need, without strings and without delay."

The Defense Department's emergency fiscal 2007 supplemental requests includes $93.4 billion to help fund U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the global war on terror. The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a defense funding bill that includes some domestic spending measures and requires U.S. combat troops to depart Iraq by Aug. 31, 2008.

The House war-spending bill "would cut the number of troops below the level our military commanders say they need to accomplish the mission," Bush pointed out. "It would set an artificial timetable for withdrawal that would allow the enemy to wait us out."

And, military deployment restrictions outlined in the House bill "would take an army of lawyers" to sort out, the president said.

The president has been adamant that he would not support such legislation.

"I have made it clear that I will veto any such bill, and it is clear that my veto would be sustained," Bush said, noting time is running short for Congress to send him a favorable bill.

If the supplemental funding bill is not passed by April 15, the Army will be compelled to consider curtailing and suspending training for Reserve and National Guard units, slow up training of units scheduled to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, and possibly cut funding for the upgrade and renovation of barracks and other facilities, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters during a March 22 news conference at the Pentagon.

"This kind of disruption to key programs will have a genuinely adverse effect on the readiness of the Army and quality of life for soldiers and their families," Gates said at the news conference.

Bush concurred with Gates' assessment, noting that implementation of the U.S. House of Representatives' war spending bill in its present form would hurt the military.

"Our men and women in uniform will face significant disruptions - and so will their families," the president said.

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Supplemental Funds Critical to Army Readiness, Officials Say

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 9, 2007 – The Army is the best equipped, trained and led force it's ever been, but it needs continued funding to ensure it's ready to face future conflicts, the Army's top two leaders said in congressional testimony today. The fiscal 2007 war on terror supplemental funding request included in President Bush's budget is critical to improving breadth and depth of Army readiness, specifically in preparing units for deployment, Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey said at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on defense.

"The solution to establishing the required breadth and depth of Army readiness ultimately rests in providing the required resources," Harvey said. "That in turn results in an Army force structure that can meet the current and projected operational demand."

The war supplemental request, submitted Feb. 5 with the fiscal 2008 defense budget request, is $93.4 billion. The supplemental funding is in addition to the $70 billion provided by Congress in September 2006 and the fiscal 2008 war on terror request of $141.7 billion.

In his testimony today, Harvey highlighted several areas that need continued funding as the Army grows, modernizes, and fights the war on terror.

Funding will be needed for the increase of 65,000 soldiers over the next five years that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced Jan. 11, Harvey said. Army leaders also need to have recurrent, predictable and assured access to all components of the force to meet global commitments, he noted.

The Army is working on an aggressive program to restore battle losses and repair and recapitalize worn-out equipment, Harvey said. Modernization efforts, which are aimed at fixing holes in the force as the Army grows, are also critical, he said. The Army entered this war $56 billion short of the equipment it needed, he pointed out, and is still trying to make up for that lack.

Harvey also said that the Army's ability to grow the force to meet rotational requirements is jeopardized by the $2 billion reduction in the Base Realignment and Closure account in the fiscal 2007 appropriation process.

"Disruptions in resourcing our plans will in turn significantly hamper our capability to grow the Army, impede our capability to field cohesive, trained units, and degrade the quality of life for soldiers and their families," he said.

The timeliness of filling the Army's resource needs is critical, Harvey said. The Army will require access to supplemental funding by April to sustain efforts around the world, he said.

One of the issues highlighted by Harvey and Army Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Army chief of staff, who also was at the hearing, was the equipment shortage for units in the U.S. The Army went into this war with an equipment shortage, and has since been growing the force, so that shortage has become even larger, Schoomaker pointed out. The Army has shifted its best equipment to the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan, so the units preparing to deploy often are short on training equipment, he explained.

Schoomaker said the situation is "less than satisfactory," but stressed that units are fully trained and equipped when they arrive in Afghanistan and Iraq. Harvey agreed, adding that it's in preparing the units for deployment that the Army has had to catch up.

"I think when a unit deploys, when a brigade combat team deploys ... it is the best trained, equipped, organized Army in the world with the best quality soldiers we've ever had," Harvey said.

Schoomaker noted that the government is spending less on defense than it historically has, and much of that money is needed for the war on terror. However, a good portion of the supplemental funding is needed to fix holes in the Army and expand the force to prepare for the future, he said.

"I am one that absolutely believes that there is no question that we are headed into fights in the future, beyond the current fight that we're in today," Schoomaker said. "There is going to be a requirement beyond this fight to continue to fix this force so that we don't enter the next fight in the condition that we entered this fight."

Both leaders said that the Army has made great progress over the years in expanding and equipping the force. However, they said, the focus should be on the future and what progress the Army needs to make to be successful in the 21st century.

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