Pentagon Budget Seeks 10 New Ships and 15,600 Additional Troops

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The Department of Defense submitted a 2019 budget request to Congress that would pay for ten new Navy ships and 15,600 additional troops beyond this year’s authorized levels.  The request would provide the Pentagon with $617 billion in its base budget and $69 billion for its overseas contingency operations account (the account the Pentagon uses on War and combat operations).

The request is part of the Trump administration’s second annual budget and represents a major increase in military spending after Congress reached a deal to raise a defense spending cap.  Secretary of Defense, James Mattis said the money would be used to rebuild military capabilities that have deteriorated in recent years.

The Navy would receive ten new ships, including three destroyers and two Virginia-class submarines.  The total size of the military would grow by 15,600 troops, with the Navy set to receive the majority of those new soldiers – about 7,500.  The increased manpower is meant to shore up increasing demand on crews and ships in the Western Pacific and other parts of the world.

 

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