Letter to Congress on increasing U.S. ground forces
Archived correspondence addressing the proposed size and capacity of American ground forces and the congressional role in defense planning.
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Policy area · Historical collection
Defense & national security
An organized index of historical records addressing U.S. defense strategy, military capacity, force structure and national security policy from 1997 through 2005.
Collection overview
Reading defense policy in context
This section brings together policy papers and public correspondence concerned with military readiness, strategic planning and the resources assigned to national defense.
The records reflect arguments made during a specific period. New American Century retains them as historical policy material and provides neutral descriptions to support research; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Selected records
Documents in this index
Descriptions summarize each item's subject and format without reproducing the source language.
How to use this section
A responsible route through the records
Use dates, formats and related topic indexes to distinguish historical advocacy from present-day analysis.
Choose a year
Begin with an annual index to place each record within its publication period.
Check the format
Note whether an item is a report, policy paper, letter or public statement.
Read contextually
Consider the security debates and assumptions that shaped the document.
Compare records
Use neighboring years and related policy sections to trace changes in argument.
Continue research
Related sections
Defense policy intersects with alliances, regional security and the 's broader document collections.