Thompson to Push for Expanding Military
Nov 13th, 2007 by Ted Pibil
Republican Fred Thompson will call for a “million-member” military ground force and more funding to equip and care for service members and veterans before what’s likely to be a receptive audience at a military college in this early presidential primary state.
“The investments we make today provide the means to defend our nation tomorrow. They will make our military personnel more effective and safer,” Thompson will say, according to prepared remarks his campaign made available to The Associated Press.
In the speech, Thompson compares the amount spent on the military to the Gross Domestic Product, and says the equivalent of 4.1 percent of the value of all goods and services produced within the United States is now spent on defense, including the cost of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He will call for spending to increase to 4.5 percent of GDP. And that doesn’t include spending needed to support fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Regarding care for current and former service members, Thompson advocates implementing many of the recommendations of a presidential commission on improving the treatment of wounded veterans. He also says service members need better pay and benefits “including a modern GI Bill with educational assistance that will help us recruit and keep our nation’s finest in uniform.”
