Gates wants to boost U.S. forces by 92,000

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday proposed adding 92,000 troops to the Army and Marine Corps, initiating the biggest increase in U.S. ground forces since the 1960s to shore up a military that top officers warn is on the verge of breaking from prolonged fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The permanent increase of 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines would cost more than $10 billion annually and take five years to achieve, underscoring the Pentagon's conviction that today's war and anti-terrorism operations will endure for many years. "We call those 'long war' forces," a senior military official said.