Sick Transit

In testimony yesterday, Gen. Peter Schoomaker revealed that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had used some of his emergency authority to let the Army exceed its legally authorized “end strength” by 30,000 soldiers.
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This is a big turnaround for the Defense Department, which has adamantly refused to say it needed more soldiers for about the last year.
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Of course, I think these numbers are somewhat arbitrary and meaningless. 30,000 will help, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the steady stream of reservists we’ve had on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001.