McCain Urges Military Growth

ABC News’ Jan Simmonds Reports: During a visit to Pensacola, Florida, on Wednesday, John McCain renewed his call for more Americans to serve in the military "than they have recently showed a willingness to do."

The presumptive Republican nominee argued that one of the reasons the United States has struggled at times while in Iraq and during the War On Terror has been a caused, in part, by Donald Rumsfeld’s failure to build up the military after September 11th, which McCain had called for at the time.

"The former Secretary of Defense disagreed, and we waited too long to begin that build-up," said McCain. "Had we begun to do it right after 9/11, as we realized that we were now in a global struggle against a malicious enemy, or as we embarked on two wars, or even when it became clear to many of us that our flawed strategy and inadequate troop levels in Iraq were going to result in that conflict lasting far longer than anticipated, we would not be in the situation we are in today."

The Arizona Senator ruled out the use of a draft to accomplish this goal, but cited one way was to increase the presence of ROTC groups on University campuses across the nation. He went on to scold those schools that deny the ROTC "privilege" as being "disgraceful".

"The United States military defends the freedom of all of us, including students and professors at leading institutes of higher learning," he said. "For some of those same institutions to refuse to allow future officers, who will one day risk their lives to protect us, to train for their responsibilities on their campuses is unfair, ungrateful and very poor citizenship."

Other than increasing a ROTC presence, McCain did not specifically outline any other steps to promote a greater number of Americans to enlist.

Adding to his plea, the former prisoner of war noted that while there are sacrifices for those who choose military service there are great rewards.

"I want every American to know that, despite its attendant risks and sacrifices, military service even for one or two enlistments or for a career is one of the most rewarding experiences you could ever have," said McCain. "Make no mistake, those risks and sacrifices are great and daunting even in peacetime. But few other occupations so completely invest your life with personal and even historic importance."

During his speech and following roundtable, Senator McCain also talked extensively about his formative years in the Navy, his time training to become an aviator in Pensacola, and his service aboard the USS Enterprise when it became the first carrier to reach the waters off Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This stop in Pensacola chosen by the campaign to demonstrate another chapter transformed into the man he is today in a tour they have entitled "Service To America."