John McCain
Speech
Albuquerque, NM 05/26/08

TRANSCRIPT:
JOHN MCCAIN: "The most important difference between our two approaches is that Senator Webb offers veterans who served one enlistment the same benefits as those offered veterans who have re-enlisted several times. Our bill has a sliding scale that offers generous benefits to all veterans, but increases those benefits according to the veteran's length of service. It is important to do that because, otherwise, we will encourage more people to leave the military after they have completed one enlistment. At a time when the United States military is fighting in two wars, and we're finally are beginning the long overdue and very urgent necessity of increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps, one study estimates that Senator Webb's bill will reduce retention rates by 16 percent. Most worrying to me . . . is that by hurting retention we will reduce the numbers of men and women who we train to become the backbone of all the services, the noncommissioned officer."

LABEL: JM NM 5-26 (GR#84) UABCZZ - Clip D

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