Free Republic

Change is the only constant in U.S. European Command -- that's the not-so-subtle message of the organization's commander in prepared testimony for the House Armed Services Committee March 24. Marine Gen. James L. Jones said that the command has been involved in the overall war on terrorism. It also is positioning itself to provide support in the future and help allies counter the growing terror threat. "EUCOM's greatest contribution to security and stability lies as much in preventing conflict as it does in prevailing on the battlefield," Jones said in written testimony. "This is accomplished through influence and engaged leadership,...

Transforming the military's joint training capabilities sounds simple, but the task is not easy, Pentagon officials told the House Armed Services Committee here March 18. "This basic principle of training as we intend to fight, sounds simple – and it is a great bumper sticker – but this is exceedingly difficult," Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Readiness Paul Mayberry said. Mayberry, accompanied by Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Gordon C. Nash, appeared this week before two congressional subcommittees, and testified the Defense Department is making progress in the way the services train and fight. Nash is U.S. Joint Forces Command's director...

With half the Army's combat power tied up in Iraq, pressure from Capitol Hill is growing on the Bush administration and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to increase the size of the nation's largest military service by as much as two active duty divisions, or about 40,000 troops. ... Gen. John M. Keane, the Army's soon-to-retire vice chief of staff, told the House Armed Services Committee last week at a hearing that the service had never asked Rumsfeld for an increase in force size despite support for such a move on the committee. Army leaders, he said, feared the money...