    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [August 31, 2007]
    [Pages 1154-1155]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement Following a Meeting With Military Leaders
    August 31, 2007

        The Vice President and I met today with
    Secretary of Defense Gates and the Joint
    Chiefs of Staff. We had a very productive discussion.
        We discussed our commitment to provide our military all it needs to
    meet the challenges of this new century. This includes a larger Army and
    Marine Corps. In January, I accepted Secretary Gates's recommendation to increase the overall strength of the two
    services by 92,000 soldiers and marines over the next 5 years. This will
    strengthen our military and help reset our forces to respond to multiple
    contingencies around the world at any given moment. The effort is well
    underway, but there is more to do, and the Joint Chiefs are doing a
    terrific job monitoring the health of our All-Volunteer Force.
        We also discussed military and civilian coordination. We now have
    joint civilian and military teams deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, the
    Horn of Africa, and the Philippines. In Iraq, we have more than doubled
    the number of civilian-led Provincial Reconstruction Teams this year,
    most of which are embedded with U.S. combat brigades. These teams are a
    force multiplier for our men and women in uniform, and they are
    essential to the bottom-up political progress taking place in Anbar,
    Diyala, and other Provinces across Iraq. The Civilian Reserve Corps now
    being developed will enlarge the pool of civilian volunteers to support
    and enhance our missions.
        The American people will soon hear an assessment of the situation on
    the ground in Iraq and recommendations from Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus.
    This status report comes less than 3 months since our new strategy
    became fully operational and will assess what is going well, what can be
    improved, and what adjustments might be made in the coming months.
    Congress asked for this assessment, and Members of Congress should
    withhold judgment until they have heard it.
        The stakes in Iraq are too high and the consequences too grave for
    our security here at home to allow politics to harm the mission of our
    men and women in uniform. It is my hope that we can put partisanship

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    and politics behind us and commit to a common vision that will provide
    our troops what they need to succeed and secure our vital national
    interests in Iraq and around the world.
        I always leave these meetings inspired by our men and women in
    uniform and resolved to do everything I can to support them. The brave
    men and women of our Armed Forces and their families are making heroic
    sacrifices to secure our country. America will honor these sacrifices by
    ensuring that our children and grandchildren inherit a more peaceful,
    just, and democratic world.

    Note: The statement referred to Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA, commanding
    general, Multi-National Force--Iraq.