McCain Calls for U.S. Military Buildup Without Draft

McCain’s Propaganda for Warmongering

John McCain, U.S. senator from Arizona and Republican presidential nominee, speaks at the Navy and Marine Stadium at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Wednesday, April 2, 2008. (Photographer: Mannie Garcia/Bloomberg News )

by Edwin Chen

April 2 (Bloomberg) -- John McCain said the U.S. must make building up the military ``an urgent priority'' because of the stress placed on the armed forces by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Personnel shortages, while ``acute,'' can be relieved without reviving the draft, he said.

``We waited too long to begin that buildup,'' the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said today in an address in Pensacola, Florida. McCain noted that he long has advocated enlarging U.S. military forces.

``Had we begun to do it right after 9/11 -- as we realized that we were now in a global struggle against a malicious enemy, or as we embarked on two wars, or even when it became clear to many of us that our flawed strategy and inadequate troop levels in Iraq were going to result in that conflict lasting far longer than anticipated -- we would not be in the situation we are in now,'' he said.

McCain didn't give a specific goal for a military expansion or mention the potential price tag. He previously has advocated boosting the Army by 80,000 soldiers and the Marines by 20,000, along the lines of a plan already advanced by the Pentagon.

The Arizona senator is seeking to reinforce his national security expertise -- what his campaign views as his strongest argument in a general election battle against either Democratic candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York or Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

Military Background

``I'll match my credentials on national security certainly against Senator Obama and Senator Clinton any day of the week,'' he told reporters aboard his campaign plane earlier this week.

McCain, a 1958 Naval Academy graduate, was a pilot during the Vietnam War and spent 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi after he was shot down during a bombing mission.

McCain also has been a vocal supporter of the Iraq War, though he has criticized the way President George W. Bush's administration managed the initial occupation.

``We must increase the size of our military, and much more so than we have done to date,'' McCain said. ``It is an urgent priority.''

There are about 1 million active and reserve soldiers now, according to Pentagon figures, and the Army currently plans to expand by about 74,000 personnel by 2013 at a cost estimated at $70 billion.

War Strain

As evidence of the personnel shortfall, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, said today that the military can't meet its troop needs in Afghanistan because of the Iraq conflict.

``Having forces in Iraq at the level they're at don't allow us to fill the need that we have in Afghanistan,'' Mullen said at a Pentagon news conference.

While reiterating his opposition to bringing back military conscription, McCain said strengthening U.S. armed forces ``is going to require greater numbers of Americans to serve than have recently showed a willingness to do.''

McCain's call on Americans to consider enlisting in the military dovetailed with his campaign theme today: public service and volunteering. He spoke about that earlier today at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

`Historic Importance'

``I want every American to know that, despite its attendant risks and sacrifices, military service even for one or two enlistments or for a career is one of the most rewarding experiences you could ever have,'' McCain said. ``Few other occupations so completely invest your life with personal and even historic importance.''

McCain also said Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs should be more freely allowed on the nation's college campuses, calling it ``disgraceful'' that some schools bar them.

Earlier today, McCain, 71, said he is beginning his search for a vice presidential candidate and is compiling a list of names, none of which he would disclose.

``We just started this process,'' he said on the Don Imus program on New York radio station WABC. ``I don't know how long it takes but if I had a personal preference I'd like to do it before the convention.''

McCain was in Pensacola as a part of his weeklong ``Service to America'' tour designed to highlight his life and career in military and public service.