Gates cutting Pentagon budget by $78bn over five years; HASC Chairman not happy

[Revere]

He has a huge military. Now it's time for the reparations.

 

[Sallow]

Ill completely support Gates on this. Even the Pentagon's budget needs to be cut. There is no reason they cant be just as efficient with less money.

I went to nam in 67 on a troop ship, and went down into landing craft, where we went ashore. After plodding our way out of the South Sea to land, we marched to into Vung Tau, a short distance. And we did have some ACAVs & tanks along the coast line, but we had no ammunition for our weapons (a whole division of troops). We then made a single line to get aboard Deuces to be trucked inland to our base camp. And in that line they passed us out 1 round of M-16 ammo, because their was a shortage.

I make this point to say, you never know what is enough, or not enough in war. You might get by, or you might get killed, but you don't want to just get by. Remember our layman Rummy telling the troops to just get by.

They could save about 2/3rd of their budget just getting rid of the contractors, and letting the military do their jobs.

The trick with that vehicle is that is a tank/amphibious hybrid meant to circumvent the need to stop at the beach. However..after several billions in research and development..it doesn't work.

 

[Sallow]

He has a huge military. Now it's time for the reparations.

You seem to be advocating for a HUGE military..

Comrade.

 

[Revere]

The military is just the right size.

Time to cut off the welfare state.

 

[Sallow]

The military is just the right size.

Time to cut off the welfare state.

The military we have is not the one prescribed in the United States Constitution.

Comrade.

 

[SFC Ollie]

We do need to keep a prepared and strong military. However there can be cuts made. And trust me those of us who served prior to 9-11 are very used to seeing funding cuts. Seems like every time the congress needed some money it came from the military. Or from military retirees.

I'm sure that's not true but yes it certainly seems like it.

 

[Revere]

The military is just the right size.

Time to cut off the welfare state.

The military we have is not the one prescribed in the United States Constitution.

Comrade.

There is nothing Unconstitutional about a standing army.

 

[Sallow]

We do need to keep a prepared and strong military. However there can be cuts made. And trust me those of us who served prior to 9-11 are very used to seeing funding cuts. Seems like every time the congress needed some money it came from the military. Or from military retirees.

I'm sure that's not true but yes it certainly seems like it.

Cuts shouldn't come from the troops or the vets.

They should come from exotic weapon systems that don't work or that aren't needed for the type of engagements we are likely to face.

 

[Sallow]

The military is just the right size.

Time to cut off the welfare state.

The military we have is not the one prescribed in the United States Constitution.

Comrade.

There is nothing Unconstitutional about a standing army.

Sure there is.

Comrade.

The Constitution never meant for a Centralized permanent professional army.

 

[Zander]

This is a good start - we need to look at selling and closing bases in Europe next. Time for Europe to defend themselves or start PAYING us to do so for them.

 

[loosecannon]

BBC News - Gates cutting Pentagon budget by $78bn over five years

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has announced a $78bn (£50.3bn) military budget cut, including a move to scrap a $13bn plan for amphibious vehicles.

The cuts are part of a five-year spending plan for the Defence Department and go beyond the $100bn in internal savings already announced.

Mr Gates has been sceptical about whether large military vehicles, like tanks and EFVs, will continue to be crucial military instruments as engagement in modern warfare changes. The cuts come in addition to $100bn in cuts by 2016, which Mr Gates has said should be reinvested in modernising weapon systems.

He said he wanted to end the post-9/11 Pentagon's "culture of endless money where cost was rarely a consideration"

Meanwhile, at the House Armed Services Committee:

"I'm not happy," House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard McKeon told reporters. He said the cuts were greater than defence companies had been expecting.

wow, $78 billion over five years out of $3.5 trillion+ military spending in that same period.

That's like a 1/4 of 1% cut. I am so underwhelmed.

 

[Revere]

Especially since Obama has grown the baseline budget 28% in two years.

Where are his cuts?

 

[Sallow]

This is a good start - we need to look at selling and closing bases in Europe next. Time for Europe to defend themselves or start PAYING us to do so for them.

We need to close like 600 of the over 700 bases.

 

[loosecannon]

This is a good start - we need to look at selling and closing bases in Europe next. Time for Europe to defend themselves or start PAYING us to do so for them.

We need to close like 600 of the over 700 bases.

400 at a minimum.

We could cut military spending in half and never feel any pain.

 

[Revere]

No, European countries have no military to speak of, and they have all the new and higher taxes American Marxists want, and they are still going broke.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Our Bases in Europe are already at about 30% of what they were in the 1970's. We are under 100,000 troops in Germany and by 2015 that is already planned to be around 60,000 troops. Quite a drop from 500,000....... We need to find other areas to cut, not Europe.

 

[loosecannon]

Why do we need a single serviceman in Europe?

 

[Zander]

Our Bases in Europe are already at about 30% of what they were in the 1970's. We are under 100,000 troops in Germany and by 2015 that is already planned to be around 60,000 troops. Quite a drop from 500,000....... We need to find other areas to cut, not Europe.

If we are going to be there - then the Europeans need to pay us. We can't afford to be the defender of Europe. They are developed nations that can stand on their own. We can keep a few strategic bases open- but 60-100,000 troops in Europe? Why?

 

[Sallow]

Why do we need a single serviceman in Europe?

Because German brothels need the business.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Our Bases in Europe are already at about 30% of what they were in the 1970's. We are under 100,000 troops in Germany and by 2015 that is already planned to be around 60,000 troops. Quite a drop from 500,000....... We need to find other areas to cut, not Europe.

If we are going to be there - then the Europeans need to pay us. We can't afford to be the defender of Europe. They are developed nations that can stand on their own. We can keep a few strategic bases open- but 60-100,000 troops in Europe? Why?

From forward operations bases to one of the best military hospitals in the world. Many troops from Afghanistan and Iraq have had their lives saved in Landstuhl Germany.

Do we really need 60,000? I don't know, I'm not privy to that information, but it's one hell of a lot better than what we had.