CNN.com – Rumsfeld allows more troops in Army – Jan. 29, 2004

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has granted the U.S. Army permission to add 30,000 troops temporarily to its congressionally approved limit of 482,000, Pentagon officials said Thursday.

The increase will last about four years, the Army chief of staff said.

The Army is already above that limit by 11,000 troops because of “stop-loss” orders keeping soldiers from leaving the service during military action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those troops count toward the newly authorized 30,000, which will bring Army troop strength to 512,000.