HR 5132 IH

To express the sense of Congress concerning the fiscal year 2003 end strengths needed for the Armed Forces to fight the War on Terrorism.

JULY 16, 2002

Mr. SKELTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

To express the sense of Congress concerning the fiscal year 2003 end strengths needed for the Armed Forces to fight the War on Terrorism.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS CONCERNING FISCAL YEAR 2003 END STRENGTHS NEEDED FOR THE ARMED FORCES TO FIGHT THE WAR ON TERRORISM.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Before September 11, 2001, the uniformed chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps testified before the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives that they did not have sufficient personnel to meet all their current operational requirements.

(2) Since September 11, 2001, Admiral Dennis Blair, then-commander of the United States Pacific Command, General Joseph Ralston, commander of the United States European Command, and General William Kernan, commander of United States Joint Forces Command, have testified before that committee that United States military forces are being stressed by the increased operational tempo and have insufficient forces to fully meet their war-fighting requirements and to fully execute all assigned missions and that further strains on the Armed Forces may be anticipated.

(3) Following the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, Congress adopted a joint resolution (Public Law 107-40) authorizing the President to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, and persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

(4) Since the adoption of that resolution, United States Armed Forces have been actively waging war against terrorists and terrorism around the globe in operations known as Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Enduring Freedom.

(5) In the prosecution of the war against terrorism, thousands of active-duty servicemembers and over 80,000 reservists and National Guard members have participated in Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom.

(6) President Bush has publicly stated numerous times that the war on terrorism will continue for some time.

(7) United States forces are currently searching for terrorists in Afghanistan, helping fight terrorism in the Philippines, training military forces in the Republic of Georgia, equipping and training government forces in Columbia, and aiding the peace process in the Balkans and Kosovo.

(8) The pace of operations for United States military personnel has only increased since September 11, 2001, and that pace increases the strain on servicemembers and their families.

(9) Prosecuting the war on terrorism will require increased expenditures for military personnel, operations and maintenance, and for the procurement of equipment that is lost, expended or consumed.

(10) In response to the increased missions for military personnel associated with the prosecution of the war on terrorism, the House of Representatives and the Senate, in their respective versions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, have each voted to increase the authorizations for military end strengths above the level requested by the President in his defense budget for fiscal year 2003.

(11) Recent press reports indicate that the Secretary of Defense has under consideration substantial reductions in military end strengths below the levels proposed to be authorized in the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

In light of the findings in section 1, it is the sense of Congress that--

(1) the increases in end-strength authorizations for the Armed Forces for fiscal year 2003 that are recommended by the Senate and House of Representatives in their respective versions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 are wholly appropriate and justified by the increased missions and tempo of operations associated with prosecution of the war against terrorism;

(2) the President and Secretary of Defense should not reduce, or seek to reduce, the number of members of the Armed Forces so long as the Nation is at war against terrorism; and

(3) the President should support the increase in end-strengths for the Armed Forces recommended by the Senate and House of Representatives for fiscal year 2003 due to the exigencies of the war against terrorism.

END