WASHINGTON, July 29 (UPI) -- House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton questioned a finding in a report on U.S. defenses that current Army and Marine strength is adequate.

The 18-term Missouri Republican was speaking at a House hearing on the final report of the Independent Panel's assessment of the Quadrennial Defense Review.

In his opening statement, Skelton praised the report for recommending a larger Navy and increased military force in the Asia-Pacific region.

"On the other hand, I am very surprised to see the report indicate that you thought the current end-strength of our active duty ground forces -- the Army and Marines -- is sufficient," he said. "I respect your opinion, but I find that difficult to believe."

Skelton, 78, who has served in the House for 34 years, has called for increasing U.S. ground forces.

"Watching the toll these wars (Iran and Afghanistan) have placed on our forces, I have been an advocate for increasing force strength for quite a while now. I would caution against being too optimistic about the demand for these forces in the future, and would like to hear the reasoning behind the panel's position," he said

President Clinton's former Defense Secretary William Perry and former national security adviser Stephen Hadley, who served under President George W. Bush, attended Thursday's hearing as co-chairs of the Independent Panel's assessment of the report.

The 2010 Quadrennial Defense review was released in February.

Perry said the panel found the defense review did not project long-term military requirements -- focusing instead on the next four or five years, the American Forces Press Service said.