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Cody: Army needs funding — now

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Dick Cody on Thursday reiterated that a lack of timely funding for current projects and future modernization will have a substantial impact on readiness and the all-volunteer force.

During a talk before a meeting of the Association of the United States Army, Cody pointed to the periods following World War II, Vietnam and Desert Storm and cautioned against making “the historical mistake of assuming away strategic risk and neglecting our national defense.

“We’ve been down that road before and we know where it leads,” he said, concluding that “when the crystal ball fails and the unexpected conflict happens, soldiers pay the price in blood when we as a nation are unwilling to be prepared.”

His comments echoed those he made Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee at a hearing on current and future readiness issues.

He told the crowd of hundreds of industry executives, congressional staff members and soldiers that the Army needs “full and timely funding” of the $108.1 billion fiscal 2008 supplemental funding request and the $141 billion for the fiscal 2009 budget.

Cody, who is scheduled to retire in early August, said that even with the strain of more than six years of war, the Army’s core values and warrior ethos have helped keep the service together and contributed to the strength of the volunteer Army.

He noted that during this period of time, more than 900,000 people have joined the Army and more than 700,000 have re-enlisted.

“That’s a powerful statement about the patriotism and courage of our soldiers,” he said.

Since the wars overseas started, he said, the active Army has grown by 43,000 soldiers to a current strength of 525,000; brigade combat teams have gone from 33 to 40, including five new Stryker brigades; and more than $100 billion has been spent on Army programs such as the mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, body armor, countermeasures against roadside bombs, aircraft survivability equipment, night vision goggles, small arms, medical equipment and some of the items listed on the Future Combat Systems program.