President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Friday afternoon to rebuild the U.S. military, he said during remarks at the Pentagon.
Trump said during remarks at the ceremonial swearing-in of Defense Secretary James Mattis that the order would initiate a "great rebuilding of the armed services of the United States." He promised new ships, planes, and resources for the military.
Trump made rebuilding the military a focal point of his presidential campaign, pledging to end the defense sequester and increase the size of the services.
Service leaders have emphasized how defense budget reductions have forced them to fund current readiness at the expense of other priorities, including modernization. The services also underwent significant drawdowns during the Obama administration.
The Washington Post obtained and published the Trump administration's draft executive order to grow the U.S. military earlier Friday. The draft order calls for Mattis to perform a 30-day "readiness review" to assess the needs of the armed forces for operations against the Islamic State, in addition to training, maintenance, and other needs.
The executive order to boost the military was one of two Trump will sign Friday "to ensure the sacrifices of our military are supported by the actions of our government," he said. The other executive order will put in place "new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorist out of the United States of America," Trump said.