John Kerry: “I recently returned from Iraq where I am proud to report that the men and women of the American military continue to…”

“I recently returned from Iraq where I am proud to report that the men and women of the American military continue to perform magnificently. They are the best of America, and we owe them and their families a special debt of honor and gratitude. Today, I am introducing legislation to strengthen our military and enact a 'Military Family Bill of Rights.' My hope is that Congress will act quickly to build the military ready to meet the challenges of this century. That requires a larger Army, a larger Marine Corps, and better policies for Americans in uniform and their families. We must begin by building a military sized and shaped for the challenges of the future. The military today, in particular the Army and the Marine Corps, is too small for the missions it faces. The evidence is everywhere. In the past, the Army gave units 2 years to reset, re-train, and prepare between combat deployments. Instead the 3rd Infantry Division is headed back to Iraq after only one year. The 101st Airborne and the 4th Infantry Divisions are headed back later this year after less than 2 years. The First Marine Expeditionary Force is already in the middle of its second deployment to Iraq. Even with this timetable, we have made ends meet only through large contributions from the National Guard and Reserve. But in planning the next rotation of U.S. forces, we are running out of Guard and Reserve units to call on because they've already been deployed.”