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Rumsfeld Says 20th Century U.S. Military Needs Fixing |
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(Source : US State Department ; issued June 28, 2001)
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 Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told members of the House Armed Services Committee June 28 that serious investment must be made in the U.S. Armed Forces if they are to be ready to face new emerging threats.
But we cannot build a 21st century force quite yet," he said, "because the 20th century force we have is in serious need of repair."
Rumsfeld presented an amended fiscal year 2002 defense budget of $328.9 billion which includes $1.6 billion for missile defense and $2.6 billion for research and development projects. Additional money has been added to boost the pay of the military and to improve housing.
Despite what Rumsfeld described as a proposed spending increase "unmatched by any President since the mid-1980s," he said it cannot fix all the problems caused from "a decade of miss-match between requirements and appropriations."
The problem is that the U.S. military has shrunk by 30 percent, the secretary said, while being forced to perform 165% more missions. (ends)
Click here for excerpts of Rumsfeld's statement as prepared for delivery, posted on the US State Department's website.
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