Defense Department to cut Army to pre-WW II size
By Halimah Abdullah
The Department of Defense plans to scale down the nation's Army to its pre-World War II size and do away with an entire class of Air Force attack jets in an attempt to cut military spending, which mushroomed after the attacks of September 11, 2001, according to reports.
The plan, backed by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, as first reported by The New York Times, positions the military to handle any enemy but will leave the armed forces with much fewer resources to take on lengthy missions abroad. The dwindled budget also reflects the current political climate, with a President who has pledged to pull back from extended and expensive wars abroad in an era of federal funding cutbacks.
The budget is to be presented Monday.
Hagel proposes cutting the Army to 440,000-450,000 troops, according to the Times. Army troop levels already were supposed to go down to 490,000, from their height of 570,000 after the 9/11 attacks.
The budget, does, however, protect funding for cyberwarfare and special operations, a reflection of the evolving way in which the U.S. has approached fighting overseas, using tactics that don't necessarily rely so heavily on land fighters. The proposal also preserves money for controversial and costly F-35 fighter planes.
The proposed cuts will probably draw sharp criticism from some members of Congress, especially those with large Army bases in their states and districts, or whose economies depend on building and servicing parts for the Air Force planes that will be eliminated.
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The criticism is not just from those members of congress that have big bases. It also from those who see major modernization of Foreign Militaries. Particularly China, India, & Russia countries who also have trained together. Countries who have very strategic resources. China has the Majority of Rare Earth Metal reserves used in phones and tablets. Russia sits on Gold, oil, Gas, Timber, diamonds, and who knows what else. All have Nuclear aresenals. All combined equal a huge part of the population of the world.
Of course a commentator (not even a journalist really) would over simplfy these points. Maybe we can downsize but maybe we can't. With an aging and increasingly technologial dependent population the war of resources will be next because it will be survival on the line.
How can you right wingers complain? You demanded cuts to spending!!!! This is your baby. We are now doing EXACTLY what you all demanded and now you whine about it?
Military spending is the GOP's sacred cow. They'd slash social programs to the bone but keep every penny of defense spending intact if they could. Pandering to their demographic I suppose.
It not about being Right or LEFT ...Please give this up it not 1969 !! It's about the reality of the world that we live in . It is apparent that we have an adminstration that was never ready for prime time when it comes to many aspects of America on the world stage . We have the present adminstration readjusting our navy from East to West while we have the smallest Navy in many years . Yes I agree get out of Iraq ..no problem there . However , what is a concern you can cut your military to bare bones ..and I ask for what. Maybe cut in military will be for domestic consumption or political objectives . I submit is their an agenda by this adminstration
The reality " Caseyhd " ( Please note I use my REAL NAME and I don't give a dam about the NSA , CIA ) I submit the following ... Let's say at some point we cut our military to bare bones as we did pre WW II and post WW II to a degree before Korea there will come a day in the world school yard when someone ( nation ) will call you out Today , if you are aware China is pushing to see how much and how far they can go ...China and Russia are building ther military ..did you ever ask why ??
Therefore , it's not about Right , Left it's about human nature and national states ..in the Big World School Yard !!! !
I bet you anything CIA or NSA could care less about you incoherent rant. Even if you put your Home address out there your words are no serious threat to any one or to yourself.
Why not raise the unemployment rate some more! How will they decide who gets booted or not; a draw, the weakest. Its a horrible thing when the country calls for your help then just drops you off when they are done with you.
We have an all volunteer military. It's not supposed to be a permanent position.
They rarely "boot" anyone. They simply stop recruiting as heavily and don't encourage reenlistment via huge bonuses, and the numbers come down rather quickly. Enough people in the military smarten up and get out after one contract anyhow...like me.
DID THE RICH PAY TAX???????????
DID THE 1% PAY TAX???????????
OR THEY STILL GET TAX REFUND?????????????????
I like this idea. Perhaps it's time we started to use our military for their original purpose......defense instead of offense. Then again, we have enough drones now to do whatever we want overseas. Draw the military back and lets start cleaning house. On the flip side....this will only be more unemployed folks on disability. Either you pay them a full soldiers rate for securing your country, or you pay them disability for sitting at home doing nothing. Your call 🙂
Exactly, I'm tired of our irresponsible politicians forgetting the real purpose of our military. They forget that we have a Department of DEFENSE and not a Department of WAR.
I, for one, welcome these cuts. While I support and admire our military (coming from a military family), history has shown us too often that nations and regimes with overly-large military forces tend to abuse them. Recent history has shown us that our own government cannot be trusted to wield the US military machine responsibly, and frankly, our service member deserve better than this.
I just looked up military spending..the two largest items are pensions and health care with actual defense coming in third.
So are you proposing we cut benefits to those who risked their lives to keep this nation safe?
No, but we don't need so many soldiers perhaps. We can downsize our military force to rational levels without adverse affect to those who have already or currently serve.
No , I was just pointing out where the money is going. However, some in congress think that sould be done.
And that's why cutting an additional 40 to 50 thousand service members will be effective.
That's good and bad. Bad because anything expensive is bad. Good because fewer people would join if the pension and healthcare package was not as good.
No question the military can be reduced in size. I spent 12 years in the Navy and there are many cuts that can be made. Start with the F-35 JST, then move to several different classes of ships and cut them. We spend too much on high tech stuff that seldom works as well as it should. Reduce and simplify so we can have more of good systems instead of 5 really great ones, if they would only work.
All of the technology works– it just isn't needed anymore. We are entering a new era of warfare– one that will not be fought so much with conventional forces.
Oh, HOW many times we have said that...
The F-35 is a 1.5. trillion dollar waste of time, first conceived in 2001. Manned aircraft are obsolete, except as long range missile platforms.
But we just spent $100M of taxpayer money on marketing stragedies for Maple Syrup....you read that right....
And more millions of tax dollars on renovating mosques in egypt along with computers and free internet service. I kid you not. Saw the news story yesterday!
Billions upon billions are GIVEN to profitable corporations. We give them 60% more than we spend on ALL welfare combined.
You all are idiots. Freedom aren't free. You still be crying about the military when 2 million man chinese invades .
Fearmonger much? How are the Chinese going to transport those 2 million across the Pacific Ocean without:
a) being detected
b) stopped by our navy (which is NOT being cutback on).
c) with no navy opf their own to speak of.
No Navy? You need to do a little research. They are building destroyers at an alarming rate!
I guess you will find out how...by then it will be too late. You can't have it both ways. You want to be safe? Then spend the money needed to keep us safe. Heck with a big mouth like Obama we need our military to keep us safe.
Spoken like another Chinese fearing, dimwitted Tea Partier! Thank you, william.
@george...go back in your closet were you belong.
You sir are an Id10t!
How will they get here? They don't have the transport or logistics support.
Oh my! What would we do with 2 million dead Chinese?
Wipe the spittle off your chin and go take your weekly bath.
Common, don't be a fool your entire life.
The 50's are over. We don't need an arms race. China's invasion is already here and not in the form of troops but with technology. I don't agree in cutting so many soldiers as cutting civilian contractors though.
An invasion ? Really ? China is a country with a strong manpower base but no ability to project that base far from home, it has very limited naval capacity and could not mount a credible threat to the west coast let alone the nation as a whole.
I think the invasion already started. Have you seen the number of Chinese restaurants? MMMMMM
You like a lot of uneducated folks have this deep fear of the Chinese boogeyman no doubt due to the media fear mongering and movies like Red Dawn (albeit it's Korea in that case). Let me assure you that the LAST thing China wants is to invade the US EVEN if for hypothetically they are technically/militarily able to do it which they aren't.
Why would China want to invade the US for? Not much to gain and a lot to lose. Why would they suddenly want to inherit feeding millions of welfare moms, social issues and a country whose infrastructure is falling apart? they can get their natural resources in Africa and other parts of Asia much more efficiently. they is nothing inherent in the US that cannot be found elsewhere in the world.
The Chinese are not going to invade the United States. You are an idiot if you actually believe that.
By attacking us the Chinese would be destroying their largest consumer as well as destroying the value of all the bonds they have purchased. Get real.
And how is that Chinese army supposed to get to the U.S.? Amphibious invasion? The Chinese don't have enough transport ships to move even 1/50th of those two million men. Not to mention it takes roughly 10-12 days to transit the Pacific Ocean from China to California – so I'm pretty sure the U.S. Navy would have enough of an opportunity to trim that invasion force. And let us not forget, every transport ship that is sunk is not easily replaced, so the rate at which China can land more troops decreases with every transport ship sunk.
Those two million men also need supplies – ammunition, clothing, medical supplies, food, fuel, etc. They can't assume they'll be able to "live off the land" in the U.S. All those supplies have to transit the Pacific. Again, I imagine the U.S. Navy might have a thing or two to say about that.
Are they going to cross over the Aleutians and down through Canada? They only have to invade part of Russia to pull that off – something I imagine the Russians would object to. Even assuming the Russians didn't object, those troops have to cross the Bering Sea – which is prone to bad weather – and across numerous tall mountain ranges.
Are they going to cross over the Arctic and invade through Canada? Again, they'd have to cross through Russia. And they'd be weather limited. They'd have to come during the winter after the Arctic Ocean has frozen enough for heavy vehicles to safely traverse the ice. That would only give them a window of a few months before they'd have to run supplies and reinforcements/replacements either across the Pacific or the Aleutians.
I don't like Paul Ryan in Wisconsin but I agree with him and Secretary Hagel on cutting back on our military. The Air Force is cutting 25,000 people over the next 2 years but are we closing bases? No. The Air Force has said repeatedly it doesn't want the F35 but the contractors and Congressional staff insist that we take it for the good of our country and that they know best. We have more bases than we need...we desperately need to close down bases here and overseas but nobody in DC has the balls to do so.
Do you know how many Air Force bases could be shuttered with this 25,000 person reduction? We are talking a couple dozen facilities around Washington DC (they don't count as bases, just as part of the Pentagon) and probably 30 stateside bases and another 40-50 overseas. But no Congressman, no taxpayer and no contractor want to lose anything in their backyard–call it what it is: welfare!
We keep building M1 tanks because....we have to keep that knowledge alive and running! People are scared to shut down the production line because they will lose that talent and heaven forbid, we need more tanks! So rather than do a warm shutdown of sorts, we keep building tanks we don't need just in case one day we run out of extras and need more. We have planes that we are accepting off production lines and flying directly to the "boneyard" in Arizona because we don't need them. This is welfare!
And for benefits....can you tell me any other job in this country that you retire after 20 years? And you get retirement pay, full healthcare for the rest of your life, education benefits for you and maybe your kids. And if you know how to work that military retirement "system", you bump up your retirement pay by claiming disability for your sleep apnea or hemmorhoids (I am NOT kidding here, folks!). A wise military person can get 30-50% or more added to their life-long retirement pay (tax free, by the way) for high blood pressure, twisted knees, etc.
Yeah, there are people who deserve benefits. Less than 10% of all military every deploy to forward operating locations and are under fire. Right now, we "deploy" people to places with swimming pools that are surrounded by food courts for 120 days and they get a year of tax-free pay.
My solution would be a tiered retirement system. Those that deploy, are in hazardous conditions would rate more on their retirement pay and PCS moves would get you more toward your retirement. Additionally, we need to means test military retirement. I work with military officers who retire as colonels on a Friday and come back to the base the next Monday as a GS-13 pulling $60-75K a year and these retirees also have a 30-50% disability because they hurt their knee playing basketball and had surgery, they have sleep apnea and hemmorhoids. Tell me, does that individual need $130K a year?!?!
Just like every other government program, the military has its gravy and people milking the system for every last dime. ENOUGH!
You sound bitter. Though I agree with some of what you say. It use to be that officers were not allowed to apply for government jobs for 2 years after they retired. Somewhere down the line, that changed. I have seen units write job descriptions for uniformed officers to do exactly what you said. retire from one job and walk into the same job. My question is, if it were you, would you be writing what you wrote?
And I'm guessing you are either a disgruntal government contractor or civilian employee writing your post on a government computer, during government work hours. Just saying...
Yes I can tell you a retirement that pays full after 20 years and lets them retire at 55 years of age. Federal/State and City workers. Oh what exactly don't you like about Paul Ryan and please be specific? Oh I get it, you still believe the Democrats are the only answer. Never mind. Some day you will come to the realization that neither political party is concerned one bit about any thing but keeping their government job that they get a pretty cushy retirement plan also. So someone who goes to the front lines and fights in a war they didn't start is a lesser important that a bunch of politicians and bureaucrats sitting in Washington?
It's upsetting that you base your conclusions on such a narrow viewpoint. There are many people in the military that deploy to locations that have amenities. Many more aren't so lucky. Just because a place has amenities doesn't mean you're not in a war zone, away from your family and loved ones, putting your life on the line for the country. You can't compare the rigors of a deployment with anything the average civilian does. I guess that's why so many so-called patriots don't volunteer to serve in any branch of the military, They'd rather sit back like you and criticize.
You speak about the retirement and education benefits as if they're not earned. For over 10 years we've been a nation at war. This required hundreds of thousands of Soldiers to be called upon to serve overseas. Each one of us has a job that is vital to the success of our mission. What other occupation requires you to leave at a moment's notice for upwards of 15 months at a time to an unknown location with people trying to kill you? None that I can think of. Before you critique any of the benefits veterans receive look at what we have to go through as a whole. Not just the limited amount of people you've interacted with.
You sound liberal. You want caps on income? Do you need your 40k a year? I bet you do. Military injuries are no joke, and are not a scam. If you know a scammer turn them in. Did you serve and did you get military related injuries? Where do you get your stats, and how exactly do PCSs rate retirement? Deploys are only good when there is war so from early 90s to 9/11 those guys did nto have a chance to deploy – so no retirement for them then? You want a 20 year retirement Trish? Join the Army then. BTW cops, firemen, CA lifeguards, state and gov employees can all get 20 yr retirement. And if you are smart Trish you can make millions somehow. You must not be. COLs etc are hired for their experience and knowledge, do you want a new college grad hired for the job? Trish you have a lot to learn.
I don't have time to nit-pick every point you post, but you're wrong on several things, and I hope people who have no military experience/affiliation don't read your commentary as the absolute truth. Like the other poster said, you come across with bitterness. I have a bud who's a retired CMSgt, who retired and was hired into a GS-11 slot, created for his expertise. It's stupid to be mad at HIM about that. Leadership and HR made it possible. The mission cogs turn better because of him being there. I don't pitch a fit about double-dippers b/c they merely took advantage of the opportunity, as any person would.
Research the BRAC. Plenty of bases/posts/naval ports/depots get closed. I'm sure more will close, but 40-50 overseas? You're not speaking strictly Air Force, right? With troop draw-down, I'm sure more FOBs will close shop, and maybe they'll cut out deployments to Qatar/UAE/Bahrain/Africa. There are ways to trim DoD expenses. They rarely use common sense to enact cuts.
Paul Ryan could hardly know less about the military. He is a typical Libertarian – oversimplifying complex issues to make political sound-bites.
Congress has habitually demanded pork projects the Services have tried to decline – the F35 is just another example. A broader question is about the future need for piloted fighters... Maybe drones and robotics provides a better solution.
The M1 is still the best battle tank in the world. Again... the real question is about armored vehicles in general. Since most nation have weapons very capable of killing even the best armor, and IEDs seem more than capable of doing the job, are armored vehicles practicable in modern warfare? Are we really going to be capable of fielding huge land forces, heavy with armor on other continents? We need to plan for the next war – not the last war. If aircraft are produced only to get scrapped that is fraud and the people supporting that practice should be questioned by Congress. Are you certain they are not simply stored for a capability we'd need in a major regional conflict but can't maintain efficiently until that situation occurs?
Can you tell me any other job in this country that requires you to place yourself in harm's way so Americans can live their lives in peace and security? What other job ORDERS you to move every three years or so. What other job ORDERS you to leave your family and live in often austere, foreign war zones? What other job uses you for the most productive and healthy years of your life then requires you to retire?
The retirement pay, healthcare, and education benefits are the deal America proposed to Service-Members before they signed on the dotted-line. The medical disabilities you ridicule are things more common to Soldiers than to folks who don't lead a Soldier's life. Many of the older Soldiers ran five miles five days a week wearing combat boots. Try running miles each day for 20+ years, often over rough terrain, sometimes loaded with 90 pounds, and see how long your knees last. Sleep apnea, and high blood pressure are prevalent in stressful occupations, nearly impossible to fake, and can result in premature death. Service-Members suffer PTSD that civilians can only imagine. Still, Service-Members maintain a much higher level of preventive care and fitness than the general civilian population. They work harder at staying healthy but live in a completely different environment. How much exposure to occupational and environmental injury do you think the average Service-Member gets during military operations in a third-world nation? Ever come home each day to nosebleeds – coughing up black stuff from the air you've been required to breathe all day? Ever drive on a road where every inch is possibly the site of the next IED? Think those place have the EPA and OSHA keeping the work environment safe and healthy?
We've just completed nearly 12 years of war. It's quite rare to find a Service-Member who has not deployed – and many have deployed five times. We all made that last phone call to the family to encourage them not to worry. Many have left young children behind to celebrate Christmas and birthdays without Mom or Dad. Many have seen their families fall apart due to the emotional, financial stress of separation. How do you compensate for that lifestyle and the results suffered?
Your apparent hatred or jealousy for retired military is predictable. Each time a period of war winds down Service-Members become targets for reduced pay and benefits. Many old-timers rolled our eyes in cynical appreciation of the "thank you for your service" phrase we heard when we in public in uniform. We knew when the war ended we'd see the roaches crawling out of the woodwork to attack our benefits. I'm not religious but my Dad (also a Soldier) kept this saying over the mantle – "God and the Soldier all men adore – in times of trouble and no more. For when trouble is over and all things are righted, God is neglected – the Soldier is slighted".
We only represent 1% of America's adult population but Service-Members, DoD Civilians, Defense Contractors and their families bear 100% of the risks and hardship of military service. Remember this... America made a deal to establish the pay and benefits for Service-Members. Those Service-Members accepted the deal and went to war to ensure the political, economic, and military interests of the United States were defended. We kept our part of the bargain – regardless of the petty description you give of military service. Now if citizens want to change the rules those changes had best apply to those who have yet to commit to a military career. If future Service-Members want to accept the "new" terms – so be it.
This is how patriotic the Republicans and Tea Party politicians are. If you were to give them a choice on cutting military spending OR taxing the Filthy Rich. You can bet your sweet ass that their patriotism would go right out the window. These Politicians have ZERO patriotism for America, they only have patriotism for the almighty bribe dollar that they can pocket from the rich. We ALL know where their priorities are. It's the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. John Boehner, Ted Cruz the whole bunch of politicians would trample their own mothers just to get to that bribe money. Don't believe me, just throw a dollar into the air...
Are you out of your mind! There was just a story on here the other day about how many of the congressman and senators that have tens of millions in the bank. Yea, pieces of trash like Nancy Pelosi/Diana Feinstein/ and a dozen other's. You add up their net worth and it absoulely dwarfs most everyone of the Tea Party combined. You libs need to look in the mirror. You complain about the republicans wanting a system that promots capitalism yet your backers are the most wealthest people in the world. Yet I here nothing about how much they make. Ted Cruz lives more like the average citizen than Nancy Pelosi. Get a clue!
Koch Brothers included?
You mean like Obama? Can you say stimulus package?
Most of you on here have probably never even served, also if it ever comes down to a draft I will be looking forward to how some of you fools respond to it....Some of you will probably flee the country right? Bunch of cowards. I'll be one of the first in line to throat-punch you for fleeing.
Based on your comments, you are a bad example of a service member. "Throat-punch" ??? What are you, in high school? I served and I know that the people I defend, though they may not wear the same shoes I do, sometimes have valid opinions. And sometimes it requires the viewpoint of an outsider to show us what we can not see for ourselves. I wonder if these points can penetrate your arrogance.
They didn't...NOW TRY AGAIN!!.
Taxpayers have the right to not have their taxpayer money abused. From someone who has served, long family background in service, and 2 sons currently serving/served in Afghanistan and Iraq – trying to stop Dept of Defense pork barrel spending, abuse, and bloating does not make one unpatriotic or coward.
I'm sure some fat could be cut from defense spending, but I am appalled that this administration is willing to cut pay and benefits to our military families. That is just plain disgusting. We currently have more members of the miltary that are homeless than homeless illegal aliens. You can be sure if we have a Dem in the White House he will decimate the military and steal from Medicare and the elderly.
Grow up.
Grow up or shut up.
How can i shut up if I'm not talking?
Another good reason never to give the keys to city hall to a liberal hillbilly.
You Teapublicans demanded cuts to ease the debt and now you whine?
This is GREAT news for armed militias all over the US to unite and take over and topple the corrupt US government! When the country is weaken the people need to take over and establish a new America. Me and my boys will be the first to march into Washington DC and sack the corrupt political leaders of our once great nation.
Who's with me? Let's go!
LOL – You probably would fall down the steps of your trailer and shoot yourself in the a**.
Funny and so true.
Seriously dude? You haven't served in the modern military, have you? Even at reduced levels, the US Military could absolutely obliterate every "militia" in this country, even if those militias united, tripled in size, and somehow managed to get properly trained.
The reason for that is this newfangled thing called "technology." You see, while you and your chubby hillbilly wanna-be soldier buddies run around in the mud with your AKs and AR15s, the US Military would simply crush you with Drones.
This should paint a pretty picture for you: An airman with a kitkat bar playing a video game would completely eradicate your "militia" in between smoke breaks.
Yeah, I tend to tell folks who want to rally a rebellion, they have jets and bombers. Get a grip.
Replace *just* 10,000 overseas troops (which I believe costs tax payers what a million a year per) with 30,000 Infrastructure engineers here in the USA and watch how much better it gets here AT HOME.
We'll be OK. Generally speaking I'm not OK with defense cuts, but we already have an obnoxiously large military force and the Navy is capable of carrying a lot of the weight. Short of occupation forces, we should be able to accomplish the same objectives without a hiccup.
The US military could cut itself in half and still be the biggest in the world but this is still good news we don't need to spend billions and billions on war machinery and men when the average population can use help in education, training and health and other areas. Cut the spending more is what I say.
FINALLY!
Why is the government so focused on military cuts? Why not look at welfare reform? Welfare was set up to assist people who lost their jobs but planned on transitioning to another job. It was not meant to become a way of life passed on from generation to generation.
Military cuts are welfare reform...
Have you every served in the military? My husband has been deployed quite a few times and believe me it is not easy. He missed out on a lot of milestones with our children, missed spending time with his family that he will never get back. He doesn't belong to the military for the pay, but because he feels it's his duty to our country. The military deserves our support and respect. It is in no way a welfare system.
Because America is broke
True. It's broke because we pay out more than we get in. Same with people on government assistance. They receive more than they pay out. I'm not saying that there are not people who need assistance. I am all for helping people out. But I believe we need to help them become dependent on themselves and not the government.
First, Michelle, thank you for your family's sacrifice! Second, our country is broke because of progressive liberalism! Unions breaking up the greatest manufacturing machine in the world. The dems want a life-long safety net for those less fortunate. You wait, something will go down in this world where we need our military and we will come to find out it was cut by the Obama administration. Great! The world is literally in turmoil at every intersection and the US of A is considering a downgrade. How absolutely insane that thinking is. Yet, we need to make sure we provide a life-long safety net for the people who make it plain and simple that they EXPECT to be paid to do nothing and never plan on doing anything. I say give everyone in the military a raise. If they served multiple tours in action, they should be paid more. You have people who never work getting more benifits than service members who come home from battle with sever injuries or life long injuries and they get less than some slob who takes full advantage of they system. Makes me sick. The moral decay of this country is getting out of hands. All on the democrats if you ask me. They mentally have issues.
King Obama wants everyone on welfare. That's the liberal mind set.
Because "welfare" spending is equivalent to maybe barely 1% of the money that is spent on the military? If you want to cut spending you have to cut where the money is actually being spent! Just because it happens to be your particular paycheck doesn't mean you get to rewrite the budget of the USA to favor your source of income above all other budgetary concerns and then cut from every other program that you don't happen to personally participate in. Do yourself a favor and actually look at a federal spending breakdown sometime, then you might have an idea of what's actually going on.
This should not happen unless all countries cut their military the same degrees. It is not right for us to lose any unless the world make a balance in their own defenses. I say no. Do not cut it unless the others do.
Wrong, Johnbegood2. If this article is true, then I'm 110% for it! Maybe it will keep us from needlessly jumping into all these useless and unnecessary wars which have nothing to do with either national security or any of our rights or freedoms!!!
Why not? Our military is already larger than the next 10 or so combined. If anything, this just brings us back to more rational, sane level.
Other countries have already cut.
I would prefer seeing cuts to the military than cuts to the social programs. As long as these 'military cuts' are not to veteran's benefits I say do it. The era of the 'dirty wars' needs to come to an end. And NO WAR with Iran, negotiate instead. If Israel wants war with Iran let them wage it with their money and lives.
just cut some jobs in washington but not the troops this is un american seems like every thing the old pres is doing is makeing usa weaker and weaker screw this
WOW...sounds like incentive to increase my army if I am an enemy country of the USA. Great thinking folks...
The only countries that could come close to threatening the U.S. , even starting from us in dormant state, are china, russia, and the combined forces of western europe, and I don't see any of them wanting to tangle with something like that. I do agree that we should cut the sweetheart over the top defense contractor deals and keep more boots on the ground ready though.
Really? What about Mexico? They are invading us right now and they don't have to use weapons!
The United States spends more money on defense than the next twenty nations in the world COMBINED (more than half of which are allies). Who are we so afraid of? Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2009; SIPRI Yearbook 2009
And there's a reason for it. Dork
Yes, there is a reason for it, one that doesn't make a bit of sense
Folks, nothing new here. After every war the US military has always downsized, and its time. DOD spending is out of control. We build up the military after 9/11 because we got scared. But even with significant cuts, we will still have the best military in the world. Military pensions, health care, weapons systems, training those costs are unstainable.
The US has the largest, most technologically advanced fighting forces in the world. By a factor of several times. The budget for defense is ridiculously huge. Cut it.
So while China and Russia are ramping up their militaries we are scaling ours down. Makes sense
I voted for you but do not agree you cutting our most valuable Military funding. How about cutting Congress' salary. Cut foreing aid, cut political refugees. That will do it, but please , leave our Military alone.
And why not? The U.S. DoD budget has been busting at the seams for years making all other countries military budgets look like small change. How many times over do you really need to be able to destroy the world. Of course, the major DoD contractors will scream bloody murder at the thought of their corporate welfare being cut, but that's too bad. They should have saved a few quid for a rainy day.
Just mind your own business stop being the world police and everything would be ok
This is an American news story yet here you are. Who isn't minding their own business here?
War hawks always insist on too much spending. America needs a balanced budget for long term security. Let's get government spending below tax revenue. There is no long term future in ANY other plan.
That's right !
Agreed! We will still spend more than the next 15 nations combined, most of whom are allies.
So they are finally doing significant cuts to the number 1 source of federal welfare? Great. Time to get a real job that actually adds something to the economy!
like euthanasia to the blood-sucking people in this country living off government handouts?
Yes like the military im glad you understand.
Yes, like that. Only corporate america is too politically powerful to allow anyone to either euthanize them OR take their $92 billion in corporate welfare each year, nearly double that of all the social welfare programs put together.
@obama....and you can go f yourself!
Next time there's a war or national emergency, let's put you on the front line instead of the "welfare recipients".
I agree the size of the military can be reduced based on technology, etc., but do not insult the men and women who have served this country and protected YOU by suggesting that they do not have a "real job." Every member of the military takes an oath to support and defend this country, even if it means they may die in the process, so have some respect!
Someday we're going to need those troops and they aren't going to be there.
Yeah they will. Won't be voluntary, though.
You can take NAFTA, GANT and Ronald Regan era elimination of trade protections for this down fall and many others to come. The domino effect. People without a decent income means less income taxes means less home purchased, means less retail purchases and on and on and on. Global economies is good for nothing except the rich, who will take their bags of money and go somewhere else – screw the rest of us....."I got mind, get your own"
Obama the socialist killing the most socialistic program in the US budget... Can't wait to hear the conservative militaristic whiners.
If really done, this could be Obama's most important legacy: dedicating resources to where they are needed. Research, roads, health, financial stability, and unleashing this country's potential at last
Egypt?
The problem in the 21st century is that America's armed might is better than anyone else's, including China. Nations know this and will continue to call on us, and to draw us into expensive conflicts that further drain us in so many ways. If not the role of world's policeman, then who? Israel? Russia? China? I'd like to think the US, who has yet to claim any territory from its foreign wars other than room to bury yet another generation. While I see a strong need to reduce the military industrial complex, the economic truth is that, in too many American communities, that is the ONLY industry that is providing jobs, etc. Until we bring back cost-effective manufacturing that will globally compete, cutting the military only hurts ourselves in so many ways. Part of this problem is spending priorities coming out of Washington. The IRS has spent $50m in the past two years just on convention attendance. Amtrak is a humongous hole in the ground into which the US pours money, profitable on its own only in the NE population corridor. You are dreaming if you think military budget funds are going to be turned around anytime soon and sunk into replacing archaic US infrastructure. Cutting our Army to pre-WWII levels is not a new plan. Gen Colin Powell was assigned this plan twenty years ago. We cycle through these cuts, and then spend billions to build our military back up again. Carter and the post-Vietnam budgets left our military in a ruined state. Reagan came in and blindly spent what we didn't have to build it back up again. And so it goes. I would like to see more input of all types from all members of the United Nations for the current, remaining, and next conflicts. Time for the other 192 countries to shoulder their fair share.
Obamas legacy? Hahaha.....what legacy? Bengazzi? fast & Furious? The NSA scandal? IRS scandal? You can keep your doctor Obamacare? What a joke....no this presidents legacy will be destroying the US and lying to the American people. Wake up!
Good point.
I thought his legacy was food stamps, disability payments and never ending unemployment benefits?
We've had the dumbing down of America, we might as well have the weakening of America.
Dumb people with a big military. What could possibly go wrong?
I am still trying to figure out why our government is spending millions of our tax dollars to renovate mosques in egypt, while cutting military funding here at home. Somebody has some seriously messed up priorities in Washington!
For all the hawks out there. Don't get your panties in a knot. Little if any of these cuts will ever happen.
Yes it will. It already is. They will join many other Americans in the unemployment line. Of course Obama will use his fuzzy math and not count them like he's doing now
Let's bring back the draft, so everyone has an equal opportunity of serving their country.
Let's not bring back the draft. We've got enough bad bets in the service now (I served with them). A whole generation of unqualified, unmotivated draftees isn't the answer to anything. Make it mandatory and it doesn't mean anything, plus the quality will go down.
If you are not willing to serve our country, then you are not deserving of our country and its freedom.. You just can't say let someone else do it..
Well its a great start, can we slice it in half again?
Just curious – i assume the 'cuts' will come from less recruitment? Armed forces cant 'layoff' or let people go because of cuts can they?
Yes, they can. It's called a RIF or reduction in force.
Military is currently cutting active duty forces now through Reduction in Forces boards. So yes, they can 'layoff' and 'let people go'
Sure they can. It's not like a civilian layoff, but a lot of people will be forced out. Enlistments won't be renewed. Officers will find themselves unable to be promoted because there aren't any jobs for them at the higher rank and the military does not allow someone to stay at the same rank forever.
This is by far the dumbest idea to come out of the US government. You are taking a generation of soldiers that have endured the nations longest war and giving them a pink slip. The soldiers worked countless hours, in harshest enivornments for wages less than their civilian counterparts. Yet, we are short changing them of their benefits and selling out the soldiers that protect the principle of this nation
Most military volunteers never served in combat. Most, and especially so the older careerists literally sit behind desks.
This is coming from someone who has never served in the military.. you are clueless.
You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. How many years have we been at war and your saying most soldiers haven't seen combat?!?! What a completely idiotic statement...
Completely clueless asinine statement
We cannot maintain the current levels in the Army, which was mushroomed during the Iraq and Afgan wars, just in the name of employment. Many of the these army men and women would be happy to have served and then retire to civilian life where they can pursue fruitful employment and use many of their leadership skills effectively. The Govt needs to ensure that the veterans who are being pink slipped are provided career counselling to prepare them better for a successful civilian life.
Maybe the NSA and Obama know something we dont. if you can fight behind a computer desk by pressing buttons, why do you need Military?
For the representatives of districts that include manufacturers of planes and tanks that will never be used and/or never used as intended, their military funding is the basis for what amounts to a socialist jobs program. We could actually do away with many more military and government contractor positions. And when the factory closes, you can thank all the deregulation from the 80s and 90s that sent away the jobs that ya'll qualify to perform.
must be part of that "creating jobs" agenda by this idiot president! no worries, sure they will save money by cutting the defense to allow the leeches in this country to keep their free cell phones, free cable, free healthcare, while the military that are working hard to protect these leeches lose their jobs....makes sense.
My understanding from listening to many Republicans and Tea Party types is that the government does not create jobs, it just takes money from hard working Americans to waste on unnecessary programs. So if certain weapons and staff are not needed, they need to be cut so the government stops wasting my hard earned tax dollars.
Amen brother!
Yes, we need more socialist jobs programs like the ones that help produce planes and tanks that we won't use!
The so called leaches are only 3.7% of US population as of 2012. You are wrong. Wars have depleted the strength of the nation. That's exactly the enemies of this country want us to be engaged in perpetual war to the point of economic irrelevance.
sure...cut from the troops and keep paying Lockheed and other contractors crazy money. Good work.
Puts the Repubs/Tea Party in difficult postion. The military is a bloated quasi-socialized defense department – full of subsidies and welfare spending and lobbyists. No better place to start to cut the fat.
There is no way anyone who is serious can defend this level of expenditure as crucial to the defence of the nation when 40 cents out of every defence dollar in the world (Yes, including Russia and China) is spent by USA. And especially given that much of this spending is pure pork and not spent on front lione defence requirements
Military spending is only 23% of the federal budget. The reset is Social Security, medicare and other social handouts
For your information. Social Security and medicare are not hand outs.. Every working person pays into both and we just want our money back... How is that a handout when I have paid in for 47years at 14% of my pay goes into it.. 7% wages and 7% paid by the company.. My total paid in will be around 400k that's a lot of money to loose..
You're all missing a vital consideration in our defense and all these piddling little Middle East conflicts...bombs. BIG BOMBS. I'm tired of dealing with this crap. Lay down a few bombs, or wipe them out. We get a terrorist from Yemen, wipe out Yemen. Two men, one plane...done deal. And I'm really sorry about collateral damage. I'm tired of our troops being collateral damage. You wipe out one or two thug governments, things will settle down quickly. And that includes Iran. During the Cold War, not counting Viet Nam, we didn't engage is all these little police actions. MADD just kept most things stable...and then the USSR fell. I don't see Russia invading any more.
You must be terribly dissappointed with the way US has been – rather civilized!! Your ideas will be welcomed with open arms by the Kid leader Kim Jong Un of DPRK. You should renounce US citizenship and immigrate to North Korea for good!!
Its about time we started diverting our resouces back towards the countrie's infastructure. For too long the military-industrial complex has dominated public expenditures, relying on fear mongering to feed it.
Here, here!
All 18% of the budget that goes to Defense? Yeah we are just spending so much on the military and NOTHING on programs that would actually benefit the citizens of the US. /sarcasm
Wait, I thought we just had almost a trillion dollars for infrastructure with Obama's stimulus? My bad, that went to pay off the unions and his liberal allies
Cry all you want for as long as you want. But the fact remains that the Budget deficit has started showing the decreasing trend under Obama's leadership.
Good, we spend more money on the military then EVERY other country in the world combined. Whenever their are budget cuts certain politcal groups always want to take it from the elderly and poor instead of tackling the largest waste of money which is Military over spending and atx loopholes for corporations. At least someone is willing to tackle one of those issues.
So the next time a person complains about the budget can we address where most of the money is actually going before killing off the poor and elderly?
so right....now we can actually lay off the people busting their butts to protect us, and are actually working, to create more people without a job. But with all the money saved, we can continue to give the poor free cable, cell phones, health insurance, and air jordans! sounds like a win win to me....idiot!
Looks like you are very well versed at being at the receiving end of the said welfare.. free cable.. free cell phone..
That is a ludicrous assertion to make. (You can make the case for 10 countries or thereabouts but not all) . That said the US spends more on education than the next closest 15. The US spends more on retirement for the people (SS) than every other country in the world combined. The US spends more on a lot of things in large part because it has a lot of people and a very large economy. It isn't hard to spend more than countries like Mexico or even Germany that have 1/5 to 1/3 the population of the US.
9/11 was also one of our "smallest" military's after Clinton go done with it.
Gave a great opportunity to strike.
Let's be honestly people, they want to hurt the military, even close base stores so military families can't have tax free groceries.
We have all these budget cuts... yet congress hands themselves raises every three months and we double food stamps.
The military, like it or not employs people....
So replace "Shrinking military" with destroying jobs.
They will have to adjust, like everyone else has too when times change. The alternative, to keep up the unending waste of thousand dollar toliet seats, and hundred dollar hammers.
You sound like someone who tried to get in the militarty, and they did not accept you. (Of course you have no clue about anything you are posting) Time to leave your mom's basement
Stop reading the Enquirer, and you may, just may learn something....
Why are you so afraid?
What part of the army was supposed to stop the 9/11 attacks?
We could literally pay the jobsless to dig holes and refill them and it would be more benefician to our nation than military spending. At leads digging holes doesn't kill innocent people.
We tried that before and it didn't work. Don't worry though if the Statists that believe in State control of everything and equality of outcome get their way EVERYONE will dig holes and get paid the same for it ... Until they run out of money that is.
A bigger military wouldn't have prevented 9/11, and having a bigger military just for the sake of providing jobs makes no sense – we could still provide jobs but they could be doing more constructive work.
as this administration has proven a great job at creating jobs! NOT!!!!!
With our military, we never set up bases in Saudi Arabia and 9/11 never happens. We also probably don't have a Cold War and probably don't fund the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan which leads to Al-Qaeda.
3 trillion in conventional wars didn't get Osama, a few billion in computer hardware and intelligence officers did. think about that... pop that bubble that war in this world is fought like it was 1950.
Of course there are still countries out there like China and India with military forces that number in the 5 million person range that you may have to fight eventually.
And of course North Korea has a 1.2 million person military too. Eventually if you draw down military forces far enough someone will decide to get bold and 'try to make your day'.
Yeah right.. Indian and Chinese soldiers (in the millions) are going to swim across the Pacific Ocean or else they have to build a hell a lot of Ships to transport all those soldiers across open ocean without being spotted by military satellites of US or its allies and dodge missile hits and make it to US shores to launch an attack... I am so scared ... nice tactic.. did not work!!
We double the amount of food stamps to bank roll the corporations that refuse to pay a living wage to their employees, and also bank roll the farmers with subsidies from the food stamp program.
Are you suggesting 911 would not have happened if we had a larger military? Hard to see how suicide terrorist would care, in fact Bin Laden stated that he wanted the US to destroy itself economically. And why can't those lost jobs be transferred to infrastructure? This would provide a lot more benefit to the country than unneeded military. Pumping money into the military just to provide jobs is nothing more than welfare.
yeah this seems like it doesnt have anything to do with our nations increasing increase in drones
A smarter, leaner military.
From Admiral Krby: “Secretary Hagel has been clear that, while we do not want to, we ultimately must slow the growth of military pay and compensation,” Well, we have between 12 and 20 million illegals who will do the job for 25% of the pay. Your budget and path to citizenship problems are solved !:
Brilliant strategy given the rush that Obozo is in to destroy our once great nation...
You lost ALL Credibility with the OBOZO Statement.
Oh please, the bloated military spending is half the reason we're collapsing. Now a days we can't even cut the tiniest bit of fat from a budget without having defense contractors howling and screaming. The F-35 is going to end up costing a Trillion dollars, with a capital T. If we don't fork over billions and billions while contractors piddle it away they'll quickly go work for China or Russia. They've essentially blackmailed us, and it is your tax dollars paying the ransom.
We must maintain the ability to obliterate the planet 20 times over. Ten times over just ain't enough....
Judging by your highly intelligent and carefully thought response its patently clear that you, sir, are, in fact, the BOZO!
Yeah right.. you say it as if US was a Thriving nation before Obozo took over! It was literally swirling down the Toilet bowl which made even moderate Repugs to vote for any one other than war mongering, self serving, extreme right wingers.. Under Obama things are getting better .. Not fast enough but atleast we are heading in the right direction instead of down the sewer line.
the problem is spending money on defense contractors
Conservatives are convinced that private businesses can provide more cheaper and better protection and educational services than the military and public schools.
Unfortunately, privatizing the military and education takes the focus away from protecting the nation and educating our youth, and makes profit the top priority.
Also – when you factor in profit, there is NO WAY private businesses can do a better job than non-profit government agencies.
One of several problems. It's amazing how much construction goes on at US bases in Afghanistan, yet those bases still look like garbage. Meanwhile, many of these contractors are nowhere to be found while their employees milk it for every penny possible.
You folks do realize that they're not really going to "save" any money? Right?
They'll cut from the defense budget and spend the money somewhere else. And you can be certain that lots and lots of politically connected people will just happen to own businesses that profit tremendously from it all.
Just like the politically connected to Halliburton and others made billions and billions off war profiteering on wars that we had no business being in. Let the rest of the world be the policemen of their own countries instead of relying on the US taxpayer to fund their defense while they have great healthcare and modern new infrastructure.
I'd rather spend it on helping people here in this country then killing people in other countries. It is time we used some of that bloated military budget to fix our infrastructure and put more people to work here instead of sending them to die or neglecting the poor and elderly.
They already are. They are spending millions of tax dollars to renovate mosques in egypt. Why?
you are entirely correct, the current Democratic strategy is to buy their votes by hooking them on free money, welfare, and food stamps, especially when many of these people are able to work. The same thing applies to giving illegal aliens access to welfare and college educations (like in CA). Why wouldn't they vote for someone who gives them free stuff. Welcome to the United Socialist States of America. The money will decimate our defensive ability, but we will not save any money because it will be spend on social programs that have no fraud controls.
You don't think republicans are trying to buy votes in the military with their huge military outlays for weapons that will never be needed? How many votes do republicans get from those factories that churn out unneeded military supplies that we build and then give away to other countries? How many votes does the military throw the republican direction?
The 2016 presidential hopeful GOPer Chris Chritie has signed a bill to lawin New Jersey that allows children of illegal alliens to get University education without paying outstate tuition. I am not arguing for or agianst it. Just saying it just so you know. It is not just Democrats who are wooing the Hispanic voters. GOPers have also woken up to the reality.
F-I-N-A-L-L-Y
Nick, you might want to get a grip buddy... shrinking down the military to those proportions in this day in age is dangerous, reckless, and just goes to show again how ignorant those in charge really are... I served, so I know... but they forced me out, so now I'm a fish out of water just like the others who were bamboozled by the federal government... even having a good education doesn't even seem to help you anymore because there's not enough jobs and crap like this will make it worse! Yeah, unemployment is gonna spike again folks... our country is screwed up! Yeah... the end is near.... so get your popcorn ready! Not even laughing, so don't think I'm being funny...
Yes we should always spend more money on the Military then every other country in the world combined. BS that money can be better used internally then continuing to build a bloated military.
You get what you pay for. We have a big defense budget because we have the best people and the best equipment, so we need the best training. How much do you think that a Taliban, Chinese, or even an Afghani soldier gets paid?
Thanks for your service, but the military should not be a self licking ice cream cone.
Thanks for you service sir. This is a better strategy to rely on the soldiers only to take out or capture alive specific targets. To bring about a favorable outcome on a larger scale use drones and local ethnic allies just as what was done in liberating Libya. There by avoiding casualties and injuries to troops. By this we can keep troop sizes to a minimum and still achieve targets by smart hardware.
Obama and his Socialist democrats will do anything to take our freedom, security, and wealth away.
Most of that was taken away in the crash of 2008. I don't think Obama was president just yet.
(NOTE: The biggest problem we face is the fact that the exteme left wing and the extreme right wing are only concerned with trashing the other side. Well, they are trashing this country in the process. The best thing the center of this country can do is dump both extremes into the icy North Atlantic where they can chill for a while!)
No.. the Pacific Ocean is better where Radiation from Fukushima leak can mutate their genes back to a Human being.
Sorry but Repubs are doing a really good job taking our wealth away by over spending on the military and refusing to close ALOT of tax loopholes for corporations. Republicans only defend the 1%.
are the Democrats any better by supporting free money for Welfare? How much money would be saved by really enforcing fraud controls, and by not giving free state medical benefits and access to free college education to illegal immigrants? As an example of how liberal things are, California even gave a license to practice law to an illegal immigrant. How many people who truly needed welfare benefits did not get them because this guy did?
I live in Kansas, which is as republican as you can get. We have instate college tuition for illegal aliens in this state if you went to high school here for several years. Don't blame democrats for this stance.
Giving equal rights to illegal immigrants is a party GOP is late to arrive. Neverthless they have arrived. Republican Presidential hopeful Chris Christi has signed a bill to law to allow Out of state tuition waiver for children of illegal immigrants. While I sympethize the situation the children are in. I don't think that is fair.
The pre-war strength levels for the US Army was 249,441 for enlisted and 17,583 officers in 1940; for a total of 267,767. That would mean a reduction of 65,000 officers and 200,000 enlisted from current staffing levels.
Bad idea. But then again this administration is full of bad ideas.
Conservatives would rather starve the poor, and send all of us into financial ruin to fund a bloated military. We know where their priorities are... spending trillions on uneeded warplane? No problem. Feed the poor? No way.
How about cutting Food stamps & section 8 .....
You mean you want people to work and not rely on the government? Heresy!
Tell that to the Single mother who has been on time with every payment until she lost her dual jobs in a recession worsened by 2 simulatenous wars. There are plenty of hardworking Americans who have taken a sucker punch to their face so that the military industrial compex can thrive and corporate profits can skyrocket. Not all r lazy bums like you have characterized those who rely on Govt support until they can get back into a decent payroll. Oh no the GOP again wouldn't allow raising the minimum wages to keep with changing times lest it hurt the "JOB CREATORS"!!
Defense spending is currently $600B annually. Social security (which is no longer fully funded by taxpayer input by any means) and welfare are each more costly than defense spending and combine for a total $1.5T annually. It seems like we should cut some money out of the social programs while we are at it.
Must be a paid obama poster, because you clearly don't have a clue
I know, how about we just get rid of all of the military, send gum drops and lollipops to everyone in the world and hope that all the other world powers just leaves us alone. WAKE UP! We need the military to be ready to defend our country during times of unrest. Do you think our enemies will just give us a 1 to 2 year notice of an upcoming attack so we can get ready. If you want to look at history, our pre-WW2 troop strength was laughable. If the Nazi's would have invaded the US first, we would have lost. Europe bought us the time to get ready. How about we stop sending billions and billions to other countries for aid and rebuilding when our own infrastructure and economy is in such disrepair? I don't favor isolationism, but we need to fix our problems before we fix another country's.
Indeed.
You do realize we currently spend more on our military than the next TEN COUNTRIES COMBINED, right? You could cut it in HALF and still outspend the next FIVE.
Actually we only spend more than the top 7 and if we cut it in half we would be out spent by the number 2 and 3 countries. Which those countries are China and Russia, neither of which are to fond of the US. Maybe take a few more seconds to check your numbers next time.
Yeah cause other countries are in our ports right now as we speak attacking us... yawn.
Yea, you are an idiot.
Spoken like a True right winger.. Its either this extreme or that extreme there is no balanced approach!!
Why dont we start by bringing all the soldiers sailors and airmen that are stationed overseas? The Pentagon lists 662 military installations located in 63 nations outside of the the borders of the United States that have roughly 255,000 military members assigned to them. Lets start there.
Oversea bases are staging areas. If there is a need to evacuate American citizens oversea, they go to military bases.
Well thank goodness! Why has it taken so long?? Military equipment being built in the volumes right now is absurd. The varied arms of the military are telling the Pentagon they don't need them and have no place to store them. Technology has taken us farther than the need of tanks -just like we don't use cannons anymore – and attacks betweeb countries are going to be more technology-based than bombing.
Although no one wants to listen to President Obama on this, our nation could be crippled by the hacking of our power grid or our financial systems, our national security systems, or even our satellites to cut off communication. President Obama has been saying for years we need to upgrade our infrastructure so we cannot be brought down from within. Our power grid is so outdated one hit to it would bring down the entire nation whereas, in most modern countries, there are redundancies and power shifting to areas based on current need. Do you remember when the Super Bowl lights went out? That was a power grid issue – not a local one.
We have to be smart. We spend absurd amounts on the military with no thought of what we really need vs. just building a lot of something no one needs or wants.
Our military certainly did nothing for us on 9/11. They could not even get jets there for an hour. The FAA was the one who handled the danger by grounding all planes to make sure none others were potential threats.
We need the best Intelligence, Technology, and Infrastructure – NOT more worthless pieces of machinery from the WWII mindset.
Military contractors are some of the most obscenely rewarded and corrupt. It's time to staunch that bleeding, too.
Grounding of jets is the FAA's responsibility, not the military. Would you have wanted the Air Force shooting down every passenger liner that was flying? The events of 9\11 was coordinated so close together a proper military response would have been nearly impossible to coordinate in that time frame. Having a strong military is not warmongering, it is a deterrent to outside forces. Antiquated equipment needs to be removed from the inventories, but troop levels should be maintained to ensure security. While cyber attacks and terrorism is the "new way" of war, we still need aircraft and tanks to fend off the physical attacks that will shortly follow after the infrastructure is disabled.
You sound like Obama is shutting down the military altogether. Here they are only trying to make the military expendeture more smarter and on needs and not on wants. They need to get the Defence inductry lobyists out of washington. Investigation needs to be started to see which politicians are directly or indirectly benefitting by voting in favor of the bills favoring the defense industry. Even with the cutbacks we have enough deterence against any direct attacks. No matter how big a military you have what will you do about brain washed lone wolves attacking from inside? We need to stop acting as the recruiting and propaganda tool for the terrorist organizations around the globe. They are just looking for targetsto turn their anger and frustration towards. If we don't invite them to draw targets on our backs they are self destructing and killing each other.
So let me get this straight. The military did nothing on 9/11 but the FAA did. And your support for this is the fact that the FAA sent out an order directing all planes to land immediately. So, assuming there were five other aircraft that had been hijacked and had Muslim extremists at the controls, those planes would have been flown to the nearest airports and landed safely simply because the FAA issued their edict? Hmmm . . . interesting take on reality.
Agree 100%, and to those who say it will put people out of work, instead of spending the money on the military, we use the money to repair the infrastructure in this county. Upgrade to smart grid, fix the bridges, roads, and railways in this country. We can create more jobs, for more people, by fixing our own country than we ever could by making more weapons and training more soldiers.. With a giant military, we need to be constantly at war. Then after we blow up some other country, we go in and fix it.. meanwhile bridges are collapsing here at home.
Nobody is saying we need no military, just cut back to a level needed.
You did nothing either...
It'a all about paving these danged streets in the town that we live in! What are we trying to do? Compete with Mexico as far as our streets go? Yeesh!
President Obama, I salute you! It is time we downsize our military. I would suggest perhaps, disbanding the Marine Corps. We, the people of the United Socialist Movement are so proud we have an elected leader who supports us and shares with us our own political interest and ideology that exist for the collective good. Next step, let's get our beloved friends from the south their well-earned amnesty.
Move to Mexico permanently.
Obama and his Marxist cronies will cut everything except their pay and benefits. He will cut the military and foodstamps but they will still eat good. Where is the praise for him cutting foodstamps to people that need them. I guess Liberlism is for those that can afford it.
I believe it was the republicans who cut the food stamps.
You must be a Conservative troll in disguise.
You know they suggested disbanding the marine corps before Korea citing that the United States would never again launch an amphibious attack. We lost over 30,000 dead in that war and without the marine landings at Inchon we would have lost tens of thousands of more. In Vietnam, The First Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan the marines are always among the first to complete their objectives with the least casualties. The marines are by far the least expensive branch of the military oft stuck with second hand refuse from the navy yet they are still our most effective ground force. People like you are why good Americans die when they didn't have to.
Are you kidding? We are capitalists, not socialists. Yes, I think we need to reduce the military and the spending associated with the military. That should calm down all of the Tea Party's complaints that we reduce spending. But never forget that the US is a capitalist country and will never truly be solicalist.
Are you kidding me? Our dear and graceful leader, President Obama, has cast upon this nation of infidels a class of socialism that will help us compete with mother Russia and dearest China to form the trifecta of world leadership. Disband the military! Free up money for welfare and the oppressed!
I voted for Obama and consider myself very liberal, however, I do not support President Obama cutting our valuable Military's funds. We need our military more than ever, many contries hate us all over the world and we can not afford to down side our Military.
If you want to see waste in DOD that is ripe for much needed cuts look no further than these absurd tax free so-called "housing" allowances and handouts in our nation's all volunteer military. Over $21 billion is wasted each year.
Many singles who could and should be living in more than adequate quarters for singles on the ships and bases they are assigned are instead being permitted to live off-ship or off-base all off the backs of the US taxpayers. And many singles can and do get upwards of $3,000 a month via these handouts alone.
And many dual married volunteer couples can and DO get upwards of $4,000-$6,000- an eye popping $9,000 a month TAX FREE above and beyond their combined annual base and other pays of upwards of $260,000-$280,000 per year!
Google "BAH Tables 2014" and see the absurdity for yourselves. Most of our fellow citizens know nothing about these ludicrous tax free handouts off the backs of the US taxpayers.
And the most absurd aspect of these tax free handouts of upwards of $9,000 a month and more IIS THAT NO PROOF WHATSOEVER IS REQUIRED TO SHOW THAT THE HANDOUTS FOR OFF-BASE 'HOUSING' ARE EVEN BEING USED FOR 'HOUSING' IN THE FIRST PLACE! And as a result tax free thousands each month are being diverted into pockets and luxury autos and grand vacations -all off your taxpayer funds!
Preposterous
Ludicrous
Absurd
But 100% TRUE!
Well if they are getting so much that you are yellow envious why don't YOU join up and then you can be part of the handouts!!!
I am a veteran. Respond substantively or do not respond at all!
Spoken like a true idiot that has never served. I'm not going to try to refute you point by point because you obviously have already made up your puny mind. Suffice to say that married couples do NOT draw full allowances when both are drawing together. Don't forget that these allowances are designed to help our military families who receive a pitiful base salary but are forced to live in expensive areas (San Diego, Hawaii, overseas, etc) or to live without their families at all. Kindly crawl back under your rock you ungrateful cretin.
You are a lying and fearful individual. Every word I penned is true!
Sir let me tell you .... you must be sucking on Obamas Bone .... Shame on you
You are a fearful recipient of these handouts.
Your post is what is absurd. None of that is "free" and yes, we do use our BAH because if we didn't.. our rent woudn't get paid and that would raise red flags to our Command. Is there a lillte extra cash after rent? Sure, but that typically goes towards other bills. We VOLUNTEER to serve our country which should make taxpayers that much more grateful. Their dollars go towards much worse.. such as prisons but I dont see you complaining about that. Do you have ANY military service? If not, then shut your pie hole.
These handouts are beyond ludicrous!
Can you be any more deceptive with your numbers? Very few single people make 3k+ per month. Those people being high rannkig officers living in California, Boston, Hawaii, etc.. And you are completely wrong about it being people who "should be living on-base." Either they don't have space available in the dorms and so the people are allowed to live off-base or they are officers that don't have dorms on base they can live in. And don't act like on-base housing is any more efficient (costwise) than paying servicemembers BAH. You and I both know that the government is horribly inefficient and paying them to buy their own housing is much cheaper than building additional houses on-base and maintaining them. Also, some bases don't have space to put the houses anyways.
My husband and I are both DUAL military and have never seen the amounts of 4-6K for housing allowance. We make about 1800$ a month for housing allowance which does go to finance the high cost of living in a big city. We could not get a house on base because we would be forced to pay twice the amount for a house that is about four times smaller than the one we are living in. If you think military members make to much living, why not look at how many are surviving off food stamps. I make 38K a year as an 8 year Staff Sargeant working 60+ hours a week. That's with five deployments. Do the math on how much that actually is a week in dollar amounts. And please do look at the BAH chart, because NO one is getting 9K a month to live (unless they are a high ranking officer)... and if they are it's because they are being stationed in an area with a high cost of living that they wouldn't be able to afford with their very low salary.
Get off your high horse! Dual marrieds DO get two handouts for ONE, repeat ONE family unit. And many, in fact TENS OF THOUSANDS of these volunteer couples get handed upwards of $3,000-$6,000-$9,000 a month TAX FREE via these absurd handouts off the backs of the US taxpayers!
If they have a kid one gets the higher "with dependents" handout rate and the other gets the "without dependents" handout rate!
And yes, you are fearful of these FACTS getting out to the general public concerning these absurd $21 BULLION per year and growing tax free handouts and GRAVY TRAIN! Get over your fear!
You do realize the reason for BAH allowances is because there is not enough housing on military posts for the assigned troops and families to live. Being a veteran I would think you would know that....
Don't most people with jobs pay for their own housing with no help? Just saying!
Mr. Smith,
Have you ever served? I am guessing not or you would know why there is a BAH and such for military members. While your post was full of inaccuracies I do not have the time to respond to all but one. What you said about no proof being shown is completely wrong. All military members are required to re-verify current address and eligibility for BAH funds every year, or whenever a member transfers to a new duty station. Any evidence of BAH fraud results in repayment of all funding received and CO's NJP.
About the "all volunteer" reference. I am guessing that you used this to insinuate that, because we are volunteers, we somehow should not be eligible for things such as this. But I respond: maybe we volunteered BECAUSE of things such as this. All I can say is: walk down to a recruiting station and sign up. Everyone can TRY to volunteer.
There is no way you are an honorably discharged veteran.
Maybe a disgruntled discharged veteran
You need some educating on this. I spent 24 years in the military and was never able to purchase afford luxury autos or any grand vacations with my military pay! There are NO dual married military members who get twice the housing money. They receive the housing allowance of the highest ranking military member and that’s it. Ever wonder why the DoD provides this money to the troops?? How do you think the local economies would thrive if ALL the single military members were forced to live on bass or on ship? There are reasons, much more than those luxury autos or any grand vacations, that the military gets that tax free money and to help stimulate the local economies is just one of those.
Additionally, my basic military pay after 22 years (2008) as an E-7 came to $3986.70 per month (before taxes) or $996.68 per week….after taxes it equaled about $700.00 a week…this is after 22 years!!! How do you expect a military member and their family to survive on this? My housing allowance came to $823.00 while my typical rent ranged from $900-1500 depending on where the military sent me. Prior to my retirement we broke down my base pay based on the number of hours I actually worked it came out to around $2.97 an hour. How fair is it to pay anyone $2.97 an hour? Does the business you work for require you to be apart from your family? Require you to move every four years? Again, this was my pay after 22 years…I have worked in the civilian sector for just six years and am making much more than my military pay was!
Mike= the"veteran" that got kicked out for sub-par performance..and trolls comment sections to fulfull his hatred...so cute...now get me my damn coffee
Yes! Let's also return to the draft! That will save a LOT of money!
I think you should be the first draftee. You should be required to serve three consecutive tours in Afghanistan. Furthermore, you will need to move your family into a military barracks with 15 other families. I'm certain your family will love the opportunity for comeraderie with the other families, and I'm certain they will have no problem adapting to a living environment that offers absolutely no privacy.
Actually, the barracks are wonderful! There's one large public restroom to be shared with all the other families, with 10 public shower heads, not individual stalls, and 25 toilets sitting side-by-side so you can easily communicate with other families while taking a crap. All of your meals will be provided in a dining facility and shared with all the other families.
Your family will love listening to all the other families private business, and listening to them snore and masterbate in the evening. Exercise will be no problem You will enjoy waking every day at 5:00 a.m. and running two to five miles before breakfast.
It's NOT all that bad! It's only for four years......if you survive your tours of duty in Afghanistan!
If you are a veteran, then you know that married couples DO NOT get to combine BAH. You also know that BAH ranges from a few hundred dollars up to 3000 dollars in places like New York City and Washington DC where that kind of money is required to pay for housing.
Even with the higher extreme locale side of the bonus, a soldier is making what..40-50k a year. I think that's reasonable for someone both serving our country and willing to die defending it.
Its ludicrous to think that these soldiers should have to live on 19-25k, with a family, for what they do.
In short Michael Smith, and this comes from a twice combat-deployed veteran, stfu.
The US should not reduce force levels. Maintaining the current US active military force is only a fraction of the total national treasury lost to the absolutely unnecessary deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also the obsessive never-ending deployments of Reserve and National Guard forces that have driven many citizen soldiers and marines to unemployment, suicide and insanity. Making the military smaller will not prevent a President or Congress from multiple so-called "national security" deployments in the future. For those of you who forgot, Bin Laden planned and executed the terrorists attacks on 9-11 because US troops were occupying Saudi Arabia with no expectation of ever leaving. It's time for our forces to back out of foreign nations, reorganize and train for really significant threats, not thoughtless retaliations against individual terrorist threats.
Nonsense, Jim, utter and complete nonsense. See my post above.
Michael – I'm a 23-year veteran and I don't speak nonsense. I realize there is alot of waste in the DOD budgets and ridiculous projects. I'm talkiing about national security and people's lives. You're on some pay and allowances tangent. If that's the best you can do, go write a post for some other article.
I hope the gov't knows that there are consequences to this, the military is the LAST thing you'd want to cut back on, especially with all the heat going on in the middle-east that are hating on the western culture.
Why are you so afraid?
You are so right....I would say that the majority of the "chuckies" that want to see the military reduced believe that Islam
is only another religion....It seems that "chuckie" is only doing what his boss wants...weaken AMERICA any way he can!
Why are you so afraid? Get over your fear. You'll feel better about yourself.
Our military is already bigger than the next 10 biggest military *combined*. Would it really be such a disaster if we were only bigger than the next 8?
Negative. The US already spends 10 times as much on military than the next 10 countries combined. Our presence around the world creates anti-american sentiment everywhere. The costs to the American taxpayer are high to produce this anti-american sentiment. This old-world-thinking is very obsolete, and the cost savings could go to fixing our infrastucture, produce a viable health-care system, etc. It is about time we get something other than world-dominance for our tax dollar.
The Dept of Defense budget has been unnecessarily bloated for a very long time. So much waste and abuse of our taxpayer dollars. It is about time we cut !!!!!!
Good. Time to trim the budget and stop having the military as essentially a jobs program for the South and the lower classes! Man, what will they do now??
pick cotton
Just remember who you are laying off - professional killers.
They are trained to kill for a living and you're letting them on the loose. What else can they do?
Don't be surprised if organized crime will get a boost and social unrest will follow...
Like the Greeks and Romans, we have ways to deal with this, specifically here its called the NFL. Such things have historically helped the "trained killers" keep busy (The Romans had the arena).
What percentage of our vets made the NFL, again? I can't remember...
The vast majority of military volunteers ARE NOT combatants. Relatively few served in actual combat. Most literally sit behind desks, and especially so the older careerist who stay in because they are afraid to even try to earn a living away for the US taxpayer funded military binky and financial security blankee.
\\What percentage of our vets made the NFL, again? I can't remember...\\ This is an example of a failure of the US education system. He actually thinks it means "Playing" in the NFL lol
Simple fact is that the military is the single largest government job creator there is. #1 social welfare program there is for the "takers" that these guys always hate. I have friends in the military who you better believe are worried about loosing their jobs as well as many of the people here using patriotism and such to try to covert their own butts so they don't lose their job.
Just because the govt collects money and then hands it to a bunch of people to do stuff, doesn't mean it's a valid job creator and that those jobs are necessary and/or yield monetary net gain for the country, it just means that there are people getting paid to do 'something'. If those 'jobs' aren't necessary, (i.e. if we don't actually need the absurd level of military defense that we have), then that job creator is nothing more than wasteful spending. You might as well be paying someone to defend against bigfoot.
Spot on!
Your friends don't have anything to worry about. The military doesn't lay people off. They just don't replace outgoing soldiers at the same rates. They shrink by attrition.
So, how many people will this put out of work? This affects troops, civilian employees, contractors, and the local economies around bases.
None. If the spending is used on domestic priorities.
The American War Machine should not be depended upon for creation of jobs and funding big corporations......this is why we are in the position we are now – bent over a taking it hard for the last 80 years. Can you even remember a decade that the US wasn't involved in a conflict/war? People will lose their job for now, we will be back at war by the next election and job creation will be back in full swing.
None. They shrink force size by attrition.
OMG. We need a Republican in the White House now more than ever. Obama is sending an open invitation to any country that wants to attack us on our own soil. Welcome to the murder of America!
Fear mongering... nothing more....
*hands Chicken Little an umbrella*
Really, With all the guns in America. Nobody is going to try and come and take our country. Please
In my opinion, the militia of the US is invincible. But I don't think many foreign nations understand this.
Our militia is also useless to defend the shipping upon which our economy relies.
Get a grip on reality. The US spends more on military than the next 30 closest countries COMBINED. Every wants taxes cut but nobody wants to cut our ridiculous military spending.
Oh good lord. So first he spends too much on the military which is damaging the country, then when the DOD (not Obama) announces plans to make smart cuts, Obama is damaging the country. Too funny.
While we spend all this money to protect the rest of the world they spend their money on infrastructure. We are like a apple that is rotting from the core. Our infrastructure is falling apart while other countries are restoring theirs. Ike was right in the 50's when he warned us of the military complex. We should spend our money on things that should be built and not rebuilt by a bomb that we pay to drop and rebuild the damage
A military strike? Have you LOOKED at the relative defense budgets of the nations of the world? The US spends more than the next 10 combined. There'll be no invasion any time soon.
Do you actually want to reduce the deficit? We dont need a military this large and over half of our debt is military related. Investment will continue but we do NOT need to have a military ready to fight World War 3.
Sadly I see nothing about cutting the real fat, otherwise known as defense contractors, from the military budget. Cut troops? No problem, we'll just hire private contractors and pay them three times the amount we were paying our troops to do the same job. What a joke.
It is defense contractors that build those planes they are cutting.
When you are spending 50 cents to every federal tax dollar collected on the military (about 34% of total Federal Budget), I think this is what we should be doing. Make the military more efficient. Some of the money spent is so ridiculous. Ever ytime there are budget problems, the generals come out on a parade to tell us, how the nationals security is going to be damaged. But there is so much waste, it is time someone took responsibility and look at the whole health of our country and not just bleet every time that we are jeapordizing national security. I come from a military family, and have a lot of friends who will be effected, especially in the Navy.
Some of you shouldn't post comments until you know what you're talking about or have taken an english class. Yes, the Army is bloaded due to the last 10 years of manpower requirements so as we move into a decade of isolationism, tax money should go to other, more domestic priorities. The reality of war is that it changes with every conflict and the requirements that are identified at the start are never those left at the end. The US has to be ready for any conflict that challeges our national interest. Diplomacy is most effective when the US has a big stick to shake so cutting the Army and Air Force capabilities will not be done by an ax but by a surgical knife. Trust those we sent to Congress to do what's right
Only those who have never served or have sons and daughters serving are war hawks – hence Dick Cheney and George W Bush. Wars are tragedies not to be glorified.
Bloaded? Take an English class? Irony?
*bloated maybe you should take the class.
Trust Congress to do what's right? Bwahahahaha.
Does anyone else see the late 1970's all over again?
It's a different situation from the late 1970s. There isn't any war on the horizon with a major power. In the 70s, we were worried about the Soviets. Today the only potential rival is China, but the economies of both countries are so tied together that war is highly unlikely. Our biggest threat is terrorism and that's a different kind of war than a confrontation between major powers.
Maybe next they can start taking a look at all the people raping the welfare system. It amazes me how much that gets overlooked when they are looking to cut spending. It doesn't do any good to cut military spending if you are just going to hand it to someone who doesn't feel like pulling their own weight.
Do you really know anyone on welfare? I've known several over the years, all of them needed it and none of them lived well at a . Living on welfare is a very marginal existence.
Yeah, right, like the millions of career military and civilian bureaucrats are pulling any weight, they're dead weight doing their best to sink this country. Get rid of them.
Eventually, the military is going to be such an unattractive career that you will not attract the best and brightest, because it would not make sense to join. You will have a "dumb" army will poor leadership, because all of the stud would be officers decided to get a high paying civilian job...and why fight for a country that doesnt appreciate it? A people that thinks, somehow, that the Soldier is over-paid? Pssh, not worth my life...good luck to the future Soldiers, it is going to be rough.
Make love not war. LOL. If the cliche fits.
It remains a common individual and social tragedy when Christians, Jews or Moslems express beliefs in God, then are coerced or inducted to wound, kill or die for their countries or causes. It is especially tragic when any world citizen who feels love, and who shares love with others, enters the military and goes to war. It is tragic when our finest youths still agree to kill other equally perfect human beings.
Most people have been indoctrinated since birth by government, church, family and friends that “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” except in wars. It often appears that our morality still changes to suit the needs and desires of the moment.
The majority of our world citizens and even, amazingly and ironically, our highest religious leaders, continue to believe that sending our finest youths to fight and kill is a necessary evil in our world already gone awry.
It is not enough to worship with faith
and feel worthy of saving
and then show your hate with charm
and then praise your guns and blows
and then spread your crimes with wars.
(read more in my CNN iReports)
DGMacDonald
I agree with you 100%. Yet it is not so amazing that religious leaders support the main cause of war. Until we of the human race decide that greed is not as important as love, we will continue our violence towards each other.
For those who are worried about a 'smaller' military, you do know the U.S. spends over 4 times as much on our military as China? And that we spend more on our military then the next 12 biggest spenders combined? This is overdue.
Strength is deterrence. I know we're more than $17 in debt and we have to cut all of our expenses. But when America is weak the bad guys around the world start planning for military aggression and territorial expansion, This will lead to another global catastrophe.
You do realize that we spend more on military than the next 30 closest countries combined right?
Strength is more than how many planes or weapons you stockpile. It starts with diplomacy, not believing every conflict in the world is America's responsibility to go fix (the reason for a combined UN forces group), and the use of Intelligence gathering (which Bush ignored), and a strong infrastructure. Future wars will be technology based and we need to protect our most critical resources to keep the nation running.
Osama bin Laden was not after bombing just 2 buildings. He said many times he knew how America would respond with military force, spend billions on fighting a war when it was groups of followers in many nations with a common ideology. Osama's goal was to ruin our economy and he did so quite well due to the Bush fraud wars never paid for.
The Bush wars were a fraud to begin with. Osama and his main followers were Saudis but the Bushes have been friends with Royal Saudi family for decades and were never going to attack them even though Osama was a son of the Royal Family.
We brought Al Qaeda down with surgical precision in eliminating their leaders one-by-one. Iraq had no Al Qaeda there. Osama had already abandoned Afghanistan for Pakistan. It was all for nothing but the needless deaths of our soldiers and a debt Republicans created with their love of war.
We have to be smart – not reactionary.
The military should grow and shrink in size depending on the relationship between war and peace. But using military spending as a political tool seems rather wrong. The defense of our nation means lives saved. Why ever manipulate it for political gain?
A totally bankrupt nation with rampant unemployment, crumbled infrastructure and third world living standard is not worth defending.
I'll believe it when I see it. And even if true. it's still not enough. We need to stand down to pre-WWII levels. Peace time for the majority of Americans that have never been allowed to experience it in their lives.
Wow. What a great day. The USMIC i going to get a real hair cut. Hooray!
What do you mean by this. These boys make the ultimate sacrifice, so you had the freedom to run your mouth off, about something you know nothing of.
Please. No soilder since WWII has done a thing to potentially save my freedom. I honestly did not need them overthrowing governments and killing communists so western businesses had access to their markets.
FINALLY Govt. gets around to cutting back on over the top spending for defense!
Independent voter-fed up with the EXTREME'S in the GOP!
Now that we have built redundancy into our financial system backups to where it doesn't matter if NY is targeted anymore – who cares if we weaken security for nut jobs wanting to take out time square
YES....finally, we need to cut this money draining part of government. Lets spend money on education, jobs support, space exploration, not weapons.
Let's do away with the A-10 attack jet that beat the Iraqi tank brigades and other than a Spectre gunship provides the most fclose in support for ground troops in favor ob building F-35s that we don't need. Absolutely nuts.
It's a cycle. It happened after WW 1 and again after WW 2. The weak position leads to another war.
Weak position? We spend more than the next 15 countries combined.
...of which almost all are allies and none are enemies.
Weak position ? I have a better idea. How about man starts putting away his toys. And yes that also applies to the testosterone challenged in the US. There is no existential threat anymore to the US based on conventional weapons. And the nuclear threat from rogue actors are by definition not solvable by more firepower from our side.
Much more effective to put that money to better uses .... like trying to head off the underlying reasons why nations and individuals resort to violence.
start with dissolving the NRA
That cycle breaks down before that. Because it's wrong and based off a tiny part of history. I'd rather return to the US that stays out of foreign politics. Let the Europeans or Asians kill themselves if they want.
It's hilarious to watch the ignorant jingoists who constantly complain about our "out of control spending" start frothing at the mouth once the military is brought up as something to cut spending from. Everyone has their form of welfare...
You might need to dumb it down, most of those people probably don't even know what jingoism is.
What are you worried about America has more guns than anyone, what we save on military we can rebuild our infrastructure and when Obama wants to take over (Like some folks think) it would be easier for our "armed militia" to beat him off.
lmfao. When Obama takes over, all the socialists in this country will be the first ones beating him off!!
It's a start in the right direction.
Jim, if you are able to read what exactly they are proposing cuts on, you'd be singing a different tune. Some (but not limited to) of these cuts affect veterans benefits. How exactly do they justify this when they still allow 2 different contractors funding to develop engines for the F35? Food for thought.
I don't justify either. Cutting one is a good start though.
With the advancement of sophisticated weapons there is less and less reasons for keeping such a large army/military. This will also reduce the temptation for future leaders to committing our soldiers to years-long wars with no clear objective to accomplish. America has the firepower to defend ourselves from any threat but we have got to get out of the business of invading other countries to try to force our way of life on them.
This has been the thinking of the 20th Century–how to find ways to be rid of infantry.
Great generals and military theorists of WWII for example though that air power and tanks would lead to infantry being obsolete. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Similarly, WWI generals believed that new, high-accuracy artillery would do away with infantry...this was wrong.
We keep trying to reinvent the wheel but at the end of the day, an infantryman cannot be replaced.
well – that is because we are definitely FAR safer now than after WWII... NOT... sorry for all the civilians that will lose their jobs as well over this...
But most of our security problems are of our own making (which I believe comes from having such a large military to begin with and our irresponsible foreign policy).
all those republicans demanding cuts to food stamps, unemployment, but won't accept a single dime in cuts devoted to projecting power onto those we see fit.
Ya, let grandma starve, but those POS F-35 (a joke of a plane for anyone who knows anything about military aviation) need to be fully funded....
Uh huh. What a bunch of f-ed up @44holes with f--d up priorities.
cuts to food stamps does not result in bombs going off in time square... though I personally could care less if all of NY disappeared, there are some that may object to that
I actually do know a bit about the F-35, and it is far from being a POS. The new technology that is being developed for it is quite amazing, but as with all new things, there will be teething problems. While there probably is some waste, every program has cost overruns. They could have settled for a lesser design, but it would not have provided the advantages that the F-35 will offer.
If the capabilities are really replaced by technology, then let the machines bear the brunt of the most hazardous duties for major conflict (i.e ground, air, and sea automated vehicles – drone/remote pilot vehicle/semi-autnomous robot, etc..). Thing is with the US, peace is only temporary before the war drums start beating again so DoD betting make sure it's ready. So future conflict will be more like "Robot Battles" - maybe the contractor can sell it PPV?
They've been trying to get rid of the A-10 for decades.
They wanted to replace it, in the 80s, with F-16s.
Iraq-1 saved the A-10 for a few more years. People LOVED watching that thing fight.
What will they be using for CAS now?
They will be using Drones for close air support.
Anti-tank missile and smart bomb technology has advanced greatly since Iraq-1. A10s are no longer needed for these missions.
Nobody likes building a levee until you see the hurricane coming..
I can read history and know that areas have a certain hurricane threat and build the levee to suit. My reading of history shows that having a massive military at constant war corrupts nations and leads them too more wars rather than protecting their people.
especially when it could have been moderated by the wet lands that were destroyed by developers
We should also get rid of land based ICBMs. We have plenty of air and sea based nukes that can destroy the world ten times over, although I think we should get rid of those too since Dominionists within the military are looking for a reason to bring about end times.
I guess that means we are going to see unemployment go up, again.
I don’t understand all of you who are Happy about the downsizing of the Military! The DEFENSE and SECURITY of our COUNTRY is one area THAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS JOB (not building bridges or giving cell phone/welfare/Health Care away). I Hope you are READY TO FIGHT when its needed and READY FOR A DRAFT (including your wives and daughters). An don’t forget when the NEXT Katrina / Natural (or Man Made) Disaster happens the Military and Guard WON’T BE THERE TO HELP (you will be on your OWN, Just like the Military is NOW)
get a grip, Bob.
I agree that is why the President is called the Commander and Chief not community organizer.
community organizer? How unique.
should cut 50%
We will be fine with these cuts one thing about us we always find a way to succeed and get the job done. Just sucks for some of you civilians that are about to have an ex military member who was effected by these cuts steal your promotion or job...lol.
We could cut our military spending by 85% and still spend nearly double the next country.
If we don't get government spending under control, there WILL BE NO USA to protect.
Agreed, but military spending is not independently killing us financially. It is social security (which is no longer covered by our contributions like many people falsely believe) and welfare which strangle the most life out of the budget. The cost of social security and welfare combines at over $1.5T annually. Defense budget is $600B. I agree cuts to the military are needed, but they should come after or simultaneous with cuts to social security and welfare.
The US is the only imperialist country left on the planet. Imperialism, capitalism, war, and debt are inseparable. Good riddance.
Fail, by definition it is nor ever has been a "Imperialist country"
Look up the word.
Imperialist? Really?
Chill out man. Our military will still be huge. Besides, we fall short all the time, which is why civilian contractors make up about half of our deployed force.
Source?
Source? How about I'm at the largest US base in Afghanistan where over half the people here are civilians. Many jobs are outsourced to contractors, this is no secret. Makes me wonder why military even fills support roles anymore.
Cause even if we reduced military spending by 85% we'd still have a big enough military to take down ANY world threat at any point in time.
We have people starving here and people dieing and rotting away, maybe take some of that bloated military spending and help people in this country?
People STARRRVING, and DIEIIIIING, and ROTTING AWAAAAAAY! Hyperbole much man? There are BILLIONS of dollars that can be saved every single year in government pork and YES the military can do their share but chopping our manpower to pre-WWII levels is definitely not the answer. It happens at the end of virtually EVERY conflict and it fails EVERY time setting us up for massive spending and accomanying lack of accountability as we have seen during the long war.
Right there with ya', Bob!
When the first Gulf War in 91, happened, it took almost four months to build up troop and equipment levels to bring to the fight, to Iraq. Iraq had the world's fourth largest army. After the war, troop levels were cut alot. The next Gulf War, because of low troop levels, more troops are having to spend more and longer times in combat. It takes more than a couple of hours or days, to build up for a war. National Guard troops were being used alot, to cover for the shortages. Many are undertrained. One weekend a month and 2 weeks duty a year, doesn;t keep them fully trained. It left the government trying to recruit more people in the military to cover the shortages. Now once again as the wars wind down, we find the government doing the same thing.
Just because we are the USA, doesn't mean we are going to kick everyone's butt in every situation. Our military branches, get cut so much, they are barely able to carry out their responsbilities around the world. Many people do not realize the amount of work, and the number of countries that our troops are in. Many without the public's knowledge carrying out their jobs for your safety and freedom, or assisting another county for their's.
Lets not forget the 10's of thousands of civilian employees that work for defense contractors. Contractors that take care of the infastructure of the bases. Like plumbers, electricians, intructors or just office workers. All those jobs get eliminated
cut the big aid to other countries we help every month, cut Congress salary, cut political refugees such as Somali, Cuban refugees who come to this coutry more as a liability than as an asset. We ,can not afford to pay for their medical and welfare expenses for this people. Mostly, arrive to this country full of children, and many kinds of illness.
As China grows their military and we continue to owe more money to them. If they ever got more than 'disappointed' with us, we won't be as untouchable as we think. Living in a non-war era is great, but you forget or never have felt what it's like when it hits home.
We have enough nukes to end the world, people who think anyone poses a threat to us is silly. We would end this planet before falling, no doubt (and they know it). Our military is more about protecting our economy in the world, being able to change small things here and there to our economic benefit which is one reason I support having a powerful military, we just don't need to spend a trillion a year on it (10 times larger then the next guy). We can take care of ourselves and keep power with half that.
China, Russia, India don't want to spend money on military...they are glad to have us do their work to control the chaos they have created. If we become less active they will have to step up, which will put a serious "hurt" on their economies.