Army equipment programs typically have a life of around 25 years during peacetime. But intense campaigns on two fronts have run down armored personnel carriers and Humvees at 5 to 10 times that rate.
The new money request also includes the cost of training for troops before and after each tour in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with other personnel costs.
A Pentagon spokesman says Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has not seen the request yet. He is waiting on an analysis by the comptroller's office before making a decision.
The Army isn't just asking for more money for 2008. Army budgeters expect to ask for billions more in additional funding for the next several years.
The Army described its stretched budget on a day when its troops were stretched even thinner. Some 4,000 soldiers from the 1st Armored Division were told today that they will stay in Iraq beyond their current 12-month tour.
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