Tuesday, August 9, 2011

What Stays? What Goes?

The Story, from The Hill (8/7/11)
Report calls on Pentagon to prepare for possible debt-deal spending cuts

The debt-ceiling legislation signed into law on Tuesday contains no firm figure for how deeply Pentagon and national security agency budgets will shrink over the next decade. But the White House and senior Democratic lawmakers say it’ll be $350 billion.

If a yet-to-be-formed “super committee” of House and Senate members fails to come up with a deficit-reduction plan by late November, the debt-ceiling law requires massive cuts to several troughs of federal spending — including national security agencies. Those cuts could total up to an additional $500 billion over a decade.

So what programs are essential? What initiatives can afford to be cut? How can Congress meet the mandated reductions without hallowing the military at a time of such precarious national security and overseas operations? Discuss below:

7 comments:

COL Alfred M Diaz, USA (ret) said...

ROA and other organizations in The Military Coalition will have to be even more vigilant to ensure adequate national security; but not at the expense of military personnel, dependents, retirees, and veterans. Perhaps it will become more obvious why membership in ROA and multiple similar organizations is critical.

Unknown said...

These members of Congress got us into this mess by spending and spending without adequate income. They spend money to get reelected. Now is the time to clean house and vote the varmints out of office.
RVB

COL Steve Dalzell, USAR said...

Lots of discussion about the proposed changes to the military retirement program -- all focused on the same stand-alone Active Component model. Where's the discussion for using this as an opportunity to create the all-component retirement program envisioned by the Continuum of Service model?

LTC Ralph Mitchell, USAR (Ret) said...

Let's not forget that back in the 1980s Congress removed "age" from being a factor of eligibility when it came to receipt of Retirement Benefits for Congressional Staffs. Prior to that change, just like us they too had to wait until age 60. It was "rumored" that the Guard & Reserves would be next to see "age" being removed from eligibility, but as we all know ... nothing ever happened.

What we really need to do is be vigilant and confrontational in protecting the personal entitlements of our troops, our veterans and our retirees. We need to identify specific individuals elected to office when they try and impose cuts against us, so that our friends and relatives can retaliate against them by voting them out of office. Rather than see that happen, those officials will be more apt to cut spending on expensive civilian contractors which probably led to this mess in the first place.

Anonymous said...

Get rid of Obamacare and follow Laffers suggestion that we use Reganomics to save the economy. For years now Congress has been reaping benefits on the backs of those who give their life or limbs for their country. It is time now for them to look to their undeserved benefits they have given themselves.

Anonymous said...

Do all the right things, save, stay in the military for a pension and medical insurance at retirement as PROMISED when signing on the dotted line. Put up with the complications of a military life for that retirement. Then when you get close have it all reduced without any regard to your sacrifices and the government promises (does "Indian Treaties" bring anything to mind). If your retired, you don't matter any longer. But if your a congressman they take care of their own, even after retirement. THE ALTERNATIVE: Don't do the right thing. Hmm, what would that be. 1) Flunk out of school, 2) Become a drug addict, 3) Don't save a penny, 4) Don't contribute to society except as a leach, 5) Let someone else fight for your freedom and. At 60 go on 1) Medicaid,2) receive food stamps, 3)Receive senior substance, disability,(due to your ill health because of drugs, get the Earned Income Credit all have increased by about 5% every year and none were PROMISED, and don't forget a housing substance, free cable, free utilities, free transportation (in some cities). So do whats right, retire at 60 with $32000 a year (after taxes) or what was originally considered wrong, retire at 60 with the tax equivalent of $36,000 a year (you actually get money from the tax system), all of which my taxes pay for. Where did this country go wrong, we are already spreading the wealth (the wealth of the middle class, not the rich).

LTC Gordon Fowkes said...

The Cold War is over, the Indians are no longer restless, and the borders have been protected by the National Guard for a hundred years.

The present rotational regular force is designed primary for career management without regard for any form of conflict resolution, a resolution inimical to career development.

We do need a blue water navy for the protection of the sea lanes of commerce plus whatever air assetts are needed to send in the Marines when ground troops, or support overseas operations.

There is a need for a large Special Operations Command to support precision operations overseas.

Every thing else needs to be transfered to the National Guard with a backup of skilled individuals and small units to back it up. The allocation of troop units and training facilities should be allocated on the basis of a fixed ratio determined by in geographically located in the districts of the House of Representatives.

The state mission of National Guard troops requires Brown Water and Green Water naval assets to be transfered to those Congressional districts with rivers and harbors subject of disaster and subject to being able to support disaster operations.

There is no need for a full time standing regular Army, although these missions, equipment and personnel can be transfered to the ground components of the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Special Ops.

The office of the Department of Defense needs to be dissassembled into it's original components, as it's track record of victory is less than the old War and Navy Departments.

The staffing level of all components of the military services must meet a minimum of one percent of the US population to be deployable in six months, and ten percent in three years.

Ar present this means a deployable force of three million and a ready to go force of thirty million in three years. This calls for an emphasis on training the chains of command in facilities designed for the purpose and located in conventient populated areas.

This will cut thd waste, fraud, and abuse of defense dollars by the current incompetent structure by over hald.