This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/8160110.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
US to add 22,000 troops to army US to add 22,000 troops to army
(30 minutes later)
The US Army will "temporarily" increase by 22,000 soldiers for the next three years, Defence Secretary Robert Gates has announced. The US Army will "temporarily" increase its size by 22,000 soldiers for the next three years, Defence Secretary Robert Gates has announced.
The troop increase is intended to ease the strain of America's deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr Gates said. The additional troops are intended to ease the strain of the US's deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr Gates said.
The troop increase would raise the total number of active US soldiers from 547,000 to 569,000. The extra manpower will raise the total number of active US soldiers from 547,000 to 569,000.
Mr Gates's defence budget, unveiled in April, set aside $11bn (£6.7bn) to fund increases in military personnel.Mr Gates's defence budget, unveiled in April, set aside $11bn (£6.7bn) to fund increases in military personnel.
"The Army faces a period where its ability to deploy combat brigades at acceptable fill rates is at risk," Mr Gates said. Challenge
"The army faces a period where its ability to deploy combat brigades at acceptable fill rates is at risk," Mr Gates said.
"This is a temporary challenge which will peak in the coming year and abate over the course of the next three years.""This is a temporary challenge which will peak in the coming year and abate over the course of the next three years."
Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, has proposed an increase of 30,000.
Mr Gates's budget plans have faced fierce opposition from US lawmakers, who oppose his proposal to cease production of the F-22 fighter jet.
The defence secretary argued that the F-22, which was designed in the 1980s, was no longer strategically useful.