Agency casts doubt on cost of Army expansion plan

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army cannot show how it arrived at the $70.2 billion price tag for its plan to add 74,000 soldiers to active duty and reserve ranks, a U.S. watchdog agency said on Tuesday.

The Government Accountability Office, or GAO, said the Army's "Grow-the-Force" initiative, intended to help relieve the strains of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, also appeared to have underestimated some costs and overlooked others.

Among costs omitted from the funding plan is $2.5 billion in health care and educational support assistance associated with increased personnel levels, the GAO said in a Jan. 18 report released on Tuesday.

Defense officials had no immediate comment on the report. But the GAO said the Defense Department was generally in agreement with its recommendations, which called on the Pentagon to provide new oversight data to Congress by March 30 and maintain a transparent audit trail of the program.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N22255688.htm

[Shipwack]

1. Yeah, right...

They can't even make quotas now, and they want to expand?

Someone's over-due for a urinalysis screening... :smoke:

[saigon68]

2. Its called "Operation Piss Away More Money"

The Services are very good at that.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. .

:spray:

You've pegged it!

You, Sir, understand the military. :patriot: