Lieberman Introduces Legislation to Grow the Army by 30,000 Soldiers

WASHINGTON, DC -- Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today introduced an amendment to the FY 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that will reduce the strain on military personnel by giving the Secretary of Defense new authority to grow the U.S. Army by an additional 30,000 active duty soldiers. The amendment extends to FY 2010 an authority that the committee mark of the NDAA mark already provides for 2011 and 2012.

"Our Army is facing a period of tremendous stress," said Lieberman. "The total number of deployed soldiers will increase as more troops are leaving for Afghanistan before a large number return from Iraq. Authorizing additional personnel is a critical first step toward making sure that our military leaders can execute their strategy while also reducing the heavy strain on our soldiers and their families."

Lieberman is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and chairman of its Subcommittee on Airland, which is responsible for assessing the nation's requirements for land and air power.