Chuck Grassley: “The Marine Corps says that 12 additional generals are needed to fill vacant war-fighting positions. To the members of…”

“The Marine Corps says that 12 additional generals are needed to fill vacant war-fighting positions. To the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, you say in your report that they are not needed for war fighting, that they are needed because of the needs within the Pentagon, within the bureaucracy. The marines themselves say they need the additional generals to fill vacant war-fighting positions. Now, it seems to me that we ought to be able to have the Armed Services Committee and the Marine Corps talking off the same song sheet if there is a need for it. Those are the Marine Corps' own words. I underscore in this effort the word 'vacant'--to fill vacant war-fighting positions. First, if you look at these, to say that these are war-fighting positions--and I am using the Marine Corps' rationale, not the Armed Services Committee's rationale--I think that would really be stretching the point. Three of the positions, by the Marine Corps' own request, are in the Pentagon. I hope I do not insult people when I say that is not war fighting. I understand that the entire military is dedicated to war fighting, yes, but close to the battlefield, no. Two of these generals are for recruiting. That is not war fighting. Three are high-level joint headquarters positions. That is not war fighting. Five or six are connected with Marine combat forces, and that is getting close to war fighting.”