Military Forces: What is the Appropriate Size for the United States

For several years, some Members of Congress and other military analysts have argued that the U.S. Armed Forces are too small to adequately meet all the requirements arising in the post-Cold War era, and particularly in the Global War on Terrorism GWOT. In January, 2004, the Department of Defense acknowledged a problem by temporarily adding 30,000 troops to the authorized active duty end strength of the Army. The House and Senate are addressing the issue, in different ways, through the FY2005 Authorization Bill, H.R. 4200 and S. 2400. This report describes the background to this action, current Administration planning, and assesses several significant issues for Congress. The report will be updated.