Chuck Grassley: “First of all, to comment on the figures, the ratio, that the Senator from Alaska gave. I do not think these numbers are…”

“First of all, to comment on the figures, the ratio, that the Senator from Alaska gave. I do not think these numbers are exactly like what he gave, but I think they are very close. I have a chart here because I want to make the very point that the Senator was making. But what the Senator is suggesting, the distinguished chairman of the committee, is that we should solve this problem that the Marines have-- and the Marine ratio is not a problem, the fact that they have one general for 2,568 Marines. That is good. That is lean. There has been a downsizing here. And it seems to me that you keep the Marine ratio where it is. You do not solve the problem by making the Marine Corps chubby with generals like the Navy is chubby with admirals. This is what should happen in this normal downsizing. The number of Marines go down, as we have seen here from 199,000 down to 172,000. The Army has been downsized. The Air Force has been downsized and the Navy has been downsized. You have seen a reduction in the number of general officers. You have seen the Marines keep constant during this period of downsizing. I do not find fault with that. I am not saying that should be necessarily reduced like the Army, Navy, and Air Force. But more generals would bring the Marine Corps number down.”