April 24, 2006



On behalf of the more than 100,000 members of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), I write to urge you to pass the Defense Supplemental Appropriation legislation currently under consideration.

The cost of repairing and replacing equipment damaged or destroyed while executing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as developing new war-fighting materiel is enormous. Indeed, the costs have far exceeded early predictions. The harsh landscape of war operations is wearing out equipment five times faster than normal operations. Equipment that cannot be repaired must be replaced driving up procurement costs.

While appropriate funding for current operations is imperative, likewise, the Army must be re-equipped and upgraded once the war ends. I urge you to remember that war costs will not stop with the cessation of hostilities. Supplemental funding will be required for at least two years after the war ends in order to reset the Army for future conflicts.

AUSA appreciates the war appropriation provided in the past, but the current supplemental must be quickly approved to maintain an unbroken funding stream to support our warfighters in the field.

GORDON R. SULLIVAN
General, USA Retired