In the blogger conference call today, McCain Senior Advisor Steve Schmidt outlined next week's "Service to America" tour.  Senator McCain will be making speeches from McCain Field in Mississippi, Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, Annapolis, Maryland, Jacksonville and Pensacola, Florida.  Each stop will underscore some aspect of the senator's life story, as well as the McCain family's many-generation commitment to the country's safety.

At the Jacksonville stop, the GOP nominee will call for a significant increase in the size of the Army and Marine Corps.  I asked if the Navy would be part of the call for an expanded military, and Schmidt demurred until the senator speaks next week.  It seems to me that a naval power needs more than the 280 ship Navy we are headed for. 

Expansion of the military is a crucial issue for the fall campaign.  The Jacksonville speech will thus be a very significant milestone in Campaign 2008.