Source:
Washington PostNASHVILLE, Tenn. --
The Army is curtailing plans to cut what it spends on running its bases worldwide after concerns from soldiers and Congress that services for military families might suffer.
Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey Jr. announced the step Friday in a statement. McHugh said the Army will add $500 million to its budget for base operations and will not "shortchange our soldiers and their families."The Associated Press reported in January that the Army was planning cuts as deep as 40 percent at some bases as it sought to hold down non-war spending while escalating the fight in Afghanistan.
That report and soldier complaints prompted members of Congress to tell Army officials they were concerned the cuts would weaken programs for spouses and children dealing with soldiers' repeated combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We were working to get more efficient with using our base support funds, but as we looked at it, we went too far," Casey said during a visit with troops Friday at Fort Campbell, Ky. "So what we are doing is restoring about a third of what we took out."
Army posts provide many services that soldiers and their families have come to rely on, including child and youth programs, continuing education, dining and recreational facilities.
more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/05/AR2010020502327.html
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