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107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5132
To express the sense of Congress concerning the fiscal year 2003 end
strengths needed for the Armed Forces to fight the War on Terrorism.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 16, 2002
Mr. SKELTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To express the sense of Congress concerning the fiscal year
2003 end strengths needed for the Armed Forces to
fight the War on Terrorism.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS CONCERNING FISCAL YEAR 2003 END
STRENGTHS 
NEEDED 
FOR 
THE 
ARMED
FORCES TO FIGHT THE WAR ON TERRORISM.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Before September 11, 2001, the uniformed
chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine
Corps testified before the Committee on Armed
Services of the House of Representatives that they
did not have sufficient personnel to meet all their
current operational requirements.
(2) Since September 11, 2001, Admiral Dennis
Blair, then-commander of the United States Pacific
Command, General Joseph Ralston, commander of
the United States European Command, and General
William Kernan, commander of United States Joint
Forces Command, have testified before that com-
mittee that United States military forces are being
stressed by the increased operational tempo and
have insufficient forces to fully meet their war-fight-
ing requirements and to fully execute all assigned
missions and that further strains on the Armed
Forces may be anticipated.
(3) Following the terrorist attacks against the
United States on September 11, 2001, Congress
adopted a joint resolution (Public Law 107–40) au-
thorizing the President to use all necessary and ap-
propriate force against those nations, organizations,
and persons he determines planned, authorized, com-
mitted, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred
on September 11, 2001.
(4) Since the adoption of that resolution,
United States Armed Forces have been actively wag-
ing war against terrorists and terrorism around the
globe in operations known as Operation Noble Eagle
and Operation Enduring Freedom.
(5) In the prosecution of the war against ter-
rorism, thousands of active-duty servicemembers and
over 80,000 reservists and National Guard members
have participated in Operations Noble Eagle and
Enduring Freedom.
(6) President Bush has publicly stated numer-
ous times that the war on terrorism will continue for
some time.
(7) United States forces are currently searching
for terrorists in Afghanistan, helping fight terrorism
in the Philippines, training military forces in the Re-
public of Georgia, equipping and training govern-
ment forces in Columbia, and aiding the peace proc-
ess in the Balkans and Kosovo.
(8) The pace of operations for United States
military personnel has only increased since Sep-
tember 11, 2001, and that pace increases the strain
on servicemembers and their families.
(9) Prosecuting the war on terrorism will re-
quire increased expenditures for military personnel,
operations and maintenance, and for the procure-
ment of equipment that is lost, expended or con-
sumed.
(10) In response to the increased missions for
military personnel associated with the prosecution of
the war on terrorism, the House of Representatives
and the Senate, in their respective versions of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2003, have each voted to increase the authorizations
for military end strengths above the level requested
by the President in his defense budget for fiscal year
2003.
(11) Recent press reports indicate that the Sec-
retary of Defense has under consideration substan-
tial reductions in military end strengths below the
levels proposed to be authorized in the House and
Senate versions of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2003.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
In light of the findings in section 1, it is the sense
of Congress that—
(1) the increases in end-strength authorizations
for the Armed Forces for fiscal year 2003 that are
recommended by the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives in their respective versions of the Na-
tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2003 are wholly appropriate and justified by the in-
creased missions and tempo of operations associated
with prosecution of the war against terrorism;
(2) the President and Secretary of Defense
should not reduce, or seek to reduce, the number of
members of the Armed Forces so long as the Nation
is at war against terrorism; and
(3) the President should support the increase in
end-strengths for the Armed Forces recommended
by the Senate and House of Representatives for fis-
cal year 2003 due to the exigencies of the war
against terrorism.
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