Top Army general objects to GOP plan to slow troop reductions

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said Wednesday he’s
opposed to a plan from House Republicans to slow the reduction of U.S. forces
over the next five years.

The House Armed Services Committee included language in the
Defense authorization bill to limit troop reductions to 15,000 per year for the
Army and 5,000 for the Marine Corps through 2017, a slower pace than the
military had planned for.

{mosads}The Army proposed cutting its forces by 72,000 and the
Marines 20,000 in the 2013 budget, in part as a result of the drawdowns in the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as budget constraints.

Odierno said at a Pentagon press briefing Wednesday that the
House proposal is too restrictive for the Army.

“I think what we submitted was the right pace,” Odierno
said. “I’ve talked with the House. I’ve told them that I don’t agree with those
amendments. I’d like to see them adjustable.”

The House proposal also required the president to submit a
certification to Congress that any reduction in forces would not “undermine the
ability of the Armed Forces to meet the requirements of the National Security
Strategy; increase security risks for the United States; or compel members of
the Armed Forces to endure diminished dwell time and repeated deployments.”

The Obama administration objected to the provisions in the authorization
bill, warning that the increased size of the Army and Marines could increase personnel
and healthcare costs by $1.9 billion through 2017.

“The timing and pace of the planned reductions to the Army
and Marine Corps are tied to anticipated changes in operational demand based on
the nation’s current commitments as well as the new defense strategy, which
emphasizes a smaller and leaner force,” the White House said in a statement.

Odierno said that he was concerned about 2013 in particular,
where the House language would cap the size of the Army at 552,000, while they
planned to be at 543,000 at the end of 2013.