Administration seeks $515.4 billion in defense spending

The Bush administration Monday sent lawmakers a 2009 defense budget request totaling $515.4 billion, along with an additional $70 billion request to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan .

Reflecting the increased costs of maintaining a large volunteer force during a protracted war, the budget includes $125 billion in personnel costs. The request includes $20.5 billion to recruit, train and equip new troops as part of an effort to increase the size of the active-duty Army to 547,000 troops and the Marine Corps to 202,000 by 2010.

The budget includes a 3.4 percent pay raise for service members, bringing total salary increases to 37 percent since 2001. The military also has increased recruiting and retention bonuses in an effort to attract and keep personnel as troops are strained by lengthy combat tours.

The 2009 budget also reflects rising health costs, with $42.8 billion requested to cover health care for service members and their families.

The funding request includes $183.6 billion to develop, test and buy weapons, including:

• $7.5 billion for new armored vehicles for the Army and Marine Corps;
• $12.7 billion to build and buy warships, including a new aircraft carrier, Virginia-class attack submarines and DDG-1000 destroyers;
• $10.7 billion for new communications, early warning and navigation satellites;
• $10.4 billion for missile defense;
• $1.8 billion to develop and buy new aerial drones;
• $496 million to combat roadside bombs.

Additional requests include:

• $5.7 billion to train and equip Special Operations Command forces;
• $750 million to build "partnership capacity" -- training and equipping allied foreign militaries to combat terrorists and insurgents;
• $389 million to establish the Africa Command.