Question: How do you feel about America's military readiness?
Submitted from Hector of Atlantic City, New Jersey through MSNBC.com (10/05/00)
Answer from George W. Bush:
Military Readiness In Decline, Bush Has Real Solutions
Under the current administration, our U.S. forces are over-used and under-funded...
...resulting in low morale and a military force unprepared to deal with the threats of a new century. There is an outline of the state of our military readiness and my plans to improve it on my Web site at www.georgewbush.com.
I believe America's military is faced with a moment of opportunity -- an opportunity to transform itself, and thus ensure peace for generations. Seizing this opportunity will require more spending, but equally as important, spending more wisely. The right choices must be made to repair morale, protect America, and create a military capable of fighting the battles of the 21st century.
As President, I will:
Restore the bond of trust between the President and the military by increasing pay, improving housing, and insisting that deployments have well-defined objectives;
Defend the American people against missiles and terrorists; and
Begin to create the military of the future -- lethal, agile, easier to deploy -- by capitalizing on new technologies to skip beyond marginal improvements to a new generation of weapons and systems.In implementing these goals, I will challenge the military to transform itself. I will respect the military's tradition and culture, while changing its structure and encouraging a spirit of innovation.
No aspect of the current neglect of the nation's armed forces is more worrisome than the effect on the men and women in uniform -- and their families -- who are forced to accept low pay and inadequate housing.
As President, I will:
Increase by $1 Billion the Planned Military Pay Raise: In a Bush Administration, military pay will be increased by $1 billion -- or an average of about $750 per active duty service member -- over and above the pay increase recently passed by Congress. These additional funds will help narrow the overall difference in compensation between the armed forces and the civilian sector. I will also increase targeted reenlistment bonuses and special pay for critical specialties. This will further reduce the pay gap for individuals with skills that are in high demand, such as pilots, computer programmers, and engineers.
Improve Military Housing: As President, I will work with Congress to ensure that service members and their families no longer have to tolerate substandard housing. In some cases, this will involve renovation or construction of barracks or family housing units. In other cases, it will mean increasing basic housing allowances, especially in high cost areas.
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