By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 21, 2008 19:03:07 EDT
The expense of maintaining the all-volunteer military is "worth the cost," Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Congress Tuesday, adding that he does not favor a return to the draft.
But the admiral who chairs the Joint Chiefs added that the continuous increase in personnel costs "does not bode well for a military of this size."
One way to reduce the Pentagon’s rising personnel costs without affecting current troops, Gates told Senate appropriators, would be for Congress to approve a "modest" increase in Tricare health care fees for working-age military retirees.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_appropriations_052008w/
SAC(D) Hearing Testimony - May 20, 2008
Link below has further links to prepared testimony of SecDef and CJCS at Defense Subcommittee hearing.
http://appropriations.senate.gov/hearings.cfm?s=def
