Pentagon rebuts Bush on military readiness claims

Defense secretary doesn't want military caught in political crossfire

In this story: Pentagon: Governor is wrong Cohen to brass: Play it straight RELATED STORIES, SITES

WASHINGTON -- On the same day Defense Secretary William Cohen warned the nation's top military brass against politicizing the issue of military readiness, the Pentagon returned fire from the Republican presidential nominee over the same issue.

A top Pentagon official reacted after George W. Bush used big guns from the Gulf War to take shots at the Clinton administration, accusing it of running down the military.

During campaign stops in Michigan and Ohio, Bush was flanked by retired four-star generals, including former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Colin Powell and Desert Storm Commander Norman Schwarzkopf.

Bush said Vice President Al Gore and President Clinton had neglected the U.S. armed forces.

"The signs are disturbing: recruitment goals aren't being met, we're short of equipment, we've got (military) people on food stamps," said Bush.

Less than two hours after Bush left the stage, Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon, a Clinton administration appointee, told reporters the Texas governor had his facts wrong:

"Recruiting is on an upswing. In the last couple of months, the services have exceeded their recruiting goals," Bacon said.

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The Pentagon spokesman also took a shot at Bush's running mate and Bush's father over how many servicemen and women needed government help putting food on their families' tables.

"The good news is that the percentage of force on food stamps is far less today than it was when President Bush was president and Secretary Cheney was the Secretary of Defense."

Bacon agreed with Bush's opinion that the military of the future should be "easier to move, harder to find, more lethal, able to strike long distances in short times."

"We're doing all that," Bacon said. "We think it's good that Governor Bush wants to continue these programs."

Bacon also corrected Bush on a case the candidate put forward as illustrative of "readiness problems" in the military.

Bush claimed a Navy ship had cut short training because of lack of fuel. But the Navy said the ship simply finished early and returned to port to save money give the crew a break, according to Bacon.

"I don't think completing your training early qualifies in most people's minds as a readiness problem," Bacon said.

Bacon said Defense Secretary William Cohen met with the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines as well as the commanders in chief of the major warfighting commands around the world,.

"Acknowledging that this is a tricky political time, (he) said to them that he expected them to play straight on the readiness issue, to give the facts, not to beat the drum with a tin cup in hand to try to generate more pressure for defense spending, but, on the other hand, to talk honestly about pressures they face," Bacon said.

The service chiefs are scheduled to testify before Congress later this month on military readiness, a complex issue which Bush has sought to use against his Democratic rival Gore.

Bacon said Cohen favors a vigorous public debate on military issues but wants to ensure that it be conducted in a context recognizing that the United States remains the largest military power in the world and spends more each year on defense than its NATO allies combined.

Bacon also noted there is a natural tendency for military leaders to want bigger budgets, larger forces and more benefits for their troops.

"Enterprising generals and admirals will always find ways -- very good ways -- to spend more money," Bacon said.

Cohen, who is a Republican and has been defense secretary since the start of President Clinton's second term, told reporters Wednesday in Norfolk, Virginia, that he wanted to keep the military out of the political debate over readiness.

"I am determined not to allow the military to be drawn into this type of political debate during the course of the campaign in the final two months," Cohen was quoted as saying.

CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.