By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Apr 16, 2008 6:39:52 EDT
The idea of boosting the number of multiagency government civilians involved in national defense and better coordinating their efforts in tandem with the military — shortfalls that became apparent after the 2003 invasion of Iraq — appears to have drawn broad support.
The personnel shortfalls had their genesis in the post-Cold War drawdown of the 1990s, when the number of State Department Foreign Service Officers slipped dramatically to the current total of a little less than 6,500.
That was according to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday in a joint appearance with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
"I think Bob Gates has said that’s somewhere near the number of people in ... military bands or Pentagon lawyers," Rice told the committee.
Gates interrupted her. "A lot more lawyers," he said with a wry grin, drawing chuckles from the committee and observers.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/04/military_cooperation_041508w/
