US Presidency
1961

Accordingly, I am now taking the following steps: ( 1 ) I am tomorrow requesting the Congress for the current fiscal year an additional $ 3,247,000,000 of appropriations for the Armed Forces. ( 2 ) To fill out our present Army Divisions, and to make more men available for prompt deployment, I am requesting an increase in the Army's total authorized strength from 875,000 to approximately 1 million men. ( 3 ) I am requesting an increase of 29,000 and 63,000 men respectively in the active duty strength of the Navy and the Air Force. ( 4 ) To fulfill these manpower needs, I am ordering that our draft calls be doubled and tripled in the coming months; I am asking the Congress for authority to order to active duty certain ready reserve units and individual reservists, and to extend tours of duty;2 and, under that authority, I am planning to order to active duty a number of air transport squadrons and Air National Guard tactical air squadrons, to give us the airlift capacity and protection that we need.