WASHINGTON (AP) - Top Army leaders said Tuesday they plan to add 74,000 soldiers to the Army by 2010, two years sooner than originally planned, in order to relieve the strain on forces already stretched by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Plans are to increase the number of the active duty Army, Army Guard and Army Reserve by 74,000 overall. It would bring the total number of soldiers in the active Army to 547,000.
Originally, the growth was to take place over five years - now it would be done in three.
The increase, Gates said in his memo, will cost $2.63 billion.
Officials have been working to make the Army bigger in order to sustain a long-term commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan without wearing out the troops and alienating their families.
Tags: Army, Gates, Afghanistan
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