Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that the Congressional Budget Office’s report estimating the cost of President Bush’s troop “surge” in Iraq “dramatically overstates” both the cost of the force increase and the number of personnel to be sent. According to Government Executive, he told reporters Friday that the Administration’s financial figures are only for the current fiscal year; CBO estimated the cost through 2009. Gates also said the increase would last for months rather than years.
All of the armed services, including the Air Force and Space Force, should update their policies to give recruits and service members more clarity on the waiver process for tattoos, according to a new government report released Aug. 17. The Government Accountability Office conducted the study, which was requested by…