Secretary of Defense Gates is reportedly preparing to request that the size of the military be increased by 22,000 to ease the burden on deployed troops and allow for better rotation times during the sustained war in Afghanistan.

This has gotten a predictably favorable reaction from some quarters:

Brian Wise, Executive Director of Military Families United, a national military family and national security advocacy organization, released the following statement on the breaking news that Sec. Gates plans to increase the size of the military by 22,000 troops.

“Military Families United welcomes the announcement of the additional 22,000 soldiers to the Army. We believe that best way to reduce the strain on the armed forces and strengthen our national security is to recruit, train and equip a larger force. Our troops and their families need relief from the constant cycles of deployment, and this is a critically important step. By increasing the size of the Army, the Defense Department can reduce the strain on each soldier and their family even as the United States adds additional forces in Afghanistan. Americans know our troops are the best trained and most professional force in the world. If they are provided with the training and resources they deserve, we can be confident they will turn the tide in Afghanistan, as they have done in Iraq.”

And a predictably negative reaction from others:

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