Casey: Army growth needed sooner than planned

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — The Army’s new chief of staff says he wants to accelerate by two years a plan to increase the nation’s active-duty soldiers by 65,000.

The Army has set 2012 as its target date for a force expansion to 547,000 troops, but Gen. George Casey said Saturday that he has told his staff to have the soldiers ready earlier.

“I said that’s too long. Go back and tell me what it would take to get it done faster,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press during a stop in Hawaii.

Casey became the Army’s chief of staff on April 12 after serving as the top U.S. commander in Iraq for two-and-a-half years.

Read the rest at Army Times

Related Link:
Pentagon extends tours to 15 months for all active-duty army troops in Iraq, Afghanistan; Guard, Reserve, Marines excepted

Related Link:
Army to offer $20,000 retention bonus to some captains

Related Link:
Perspective: Stretched thin, Army turns to the Air Force to fill in

Related Link:
Opinion (Paul Rieckhoff): Breaking the Army

Related Link:
Army: Vehicle, gear stockpiles at 5-year low

Related Link:
Report: West Point grads exiting service at high rate

Related Link:
Report: Army Reserve falters on recruitment as more troops go active

Related Link:
Report: $1 billion in enlistment bonuses paid last year

Related Link:
Most youth ineligible for Army, military survey says

Related Link:
Survey: Almost 80% of Individual Ready Reserve officers saying no to deploying

Related Link:
Perspective: Officer shortage looming in Army

Relatred Link:
Perspective: Army rushing to promote its officers

Related Link:
Navy offers $40,000 re-enlistment bonuses for intel officers to overcome shortage

Related Link:
Perspective: Many reservists elevating family over re-enlistment

Related Link:
Report: Bush to Expand Size of Military

Related Link:
General Schoomaker: Army near breaking point, need thousands more troops plus bigger call up of reserves

Related Link:
Army seeks to increase rotation through reassignment of specialists to 'high-demand roles'

Related Link:
Army personnel costs have doubled, Pentagon $2 billion short for 2007

Related Link:
Army: Troops to stay in Iraq until 2010