DOD budget: Save $29 billion. Eliminate Marine Corps

[g5000]

Eliminate the Marine Corps. Eliminate all air forces from the Army (we have an AF, no need for the Army to have anything that flies). That might help the budget a bit.

What other things can we cut?

We could ban tax expenditures. That's over a trillion dollars in savings per year right there.

 

[Vandalshandle]

I'm more inclined to eliminate the F-35, which cost $400 billion dollars, is not yet operational (though it was due to be completed in 2010 at half the present accumulated cost) and which is virtually obsolete because of the development of drones, as well as being just marginally acceptable by the military because it was designed to be used by the navy, the army, AND the Air Force, for entirely different missions.

 

[Borillar]

This is like saying there is no need for the U.S. Coast Guard because we have a U.S. Navy.

I would make the case for cutting the Coast Guard or having the Navy absorb that role rather than cutting out the Marine Corps.

 

[Oldguy]

The Marines are an elite trained fighting force, now if you want train the Army the same way the Marines are trined then we might discuss it.

The Marines are far superior to the Army.

Have you got any evidence to support that notion? We hear it a lot. But, is it really true?

 

[Oldguy]

With all the talk about sequester and spending cuts, here's a sure fire way to save $29 billion right now: Eliminate the Marine Corps.

There's nothing they do which can't be done by the Army. It's a superfluous and redundant ground force which we really can't afford anymore.

The Marines are an amphibious fighting force. If you eliminate the Marines and replace them with Army forces, how are you saving money? You still need the same number of MEUs, or whatever the Army equivalent would be.

When's the last time we HAD to make an amphibious landing somewhere? How much are you willing to spend to maintain a force for a mission which isn't called for anymore?

And, by the way, the Army is perfectly capable of conducting amphibious operations. In fact, they've done it more than the Marines anyhow, including the largest and arguably the most successful in history at Normandy.

Quite a bit could be saved by closing down Marine bases here at home and abroad. Without a Marine Corps, we wouldn't need Pendleton or Twenty-Nine Palms or Barstow or PI.

 

[Oldguy]

Cyber attacks from China,North Korea working on a nuke. Is now the time to be shrinking our armed forces?

If wars are to be fought in cyberspace, how many ground troops do you need?

 

[Oldguy]

With all the talk about sequester and spending cuts, here's a sure fire way to save $29 billion right now: Eliminate the Marine Corps.

There's nothing they do which can't be done by the Army. It's a superfluous and redundant ground force which we really can't afford anymore.

Lemme guess.......you were in the NAVY??!!!!

You guessed wrong. Army.

 

[Oldguy]

This is like saying there is no need for the U.S. Coast Guard because we have a U.S. Navy.

Well? DO we need a Coast Guard? Why?

 

[Oldguy]

Eliminate the Marine Corps. Eliminate all air forces from the Army (we have an AF, no need for the Army to have anything that flies). That might help the budget a bit.

What other things can we cut?

Cut the DHS, TSA, DEA, and ATF. Legalize drugs, gambling, and prostitution and tax the hell out of them.

As far as the Marine Corps is concerned, they have a very different mission from the Army, and couldn't just be dumped. There could be considerable savings in combining training for all the armed services though, such as one boot camp for all services. Advanced training could be combined where possible - no need for separate electronics schools for the different services for instance. Also, in geographic regions where there may be multiple bases for the various services, why not consolidate where possible? There is so much duplication and waste in the armed services.

Right, and that pretty much speaks to the whole point of my suggestion. We not only have duplicate training sites, duplicate R&D and duplicate procurement, we actually have a duplicate force in the Marines and, arguably, the Coast Guard too.

 

[Oldguy]

I'm more inclined to eliminate the F-35, which cost $400 billion dollars, is not yet operational (though it was due to be completed in 2010 at half the present accumulated cost) and which is virtually obsolete because of the development of drones, as well as being just marginally acceptable by the military because it was designed to be used by the navy, the army, AND the Air Force, for entirely different missions.

We can do that too.

 

[ima]

Bring our troops home from Japan, Germany, SKorea... I don't even know why we're still in those places.

 

[Trajan]

With all the talk about sequester and spending cuts, here's a sure fire way to save $29 billion right now: Eliminate the Marine Corps.

There's nothing they do which can't be done by the Army. It's a superfluous and redundant ground force which we really can't afford anymore.

so who rides in those amphibs to hit the beach?

guards, ships, embassies?

 

[Vandalshandle]

The USA defense and weapons expenses equal 45% of the WORLD'S military expenses combined. Even Congressional republicans are starting to ask if we would be putting ourselves in danger if we shrunk it to 40% of the world's military expenses.

The truth of the matter is that the military is in bed with Lockeed-Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, The companies that build our aircraft carriers and submarines, etc, etc., and as Ike told us back in 1959, the military industrial complex is actually the power that controls this country...not the democrats, or the republicans.

 

[Desperado]

True they are just a redundant force....
Don't need them if you have the Army and Navy

 

[tjvh]

Cyber attacks from China,North Korea working on a nuke. Is now the time to be shrinking our armed forces?

We had a far greater existential threat during the Cold War, and yet we are spending twice as much now as we did then.

You have to remember that war isn't as simple as it used to be. If you aint keeping ahead of the Joneses you're dying.

Yup. Years ago I had a conversation with a guy who explained the rational behind the Government continuing Submarine construction at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division, and he made some great points. Lets talk about the Seawolf Class, as that was the topic of the conversation. As it happens, the Seawolf (SSN-21 Class) was nearing completion yet (at the time) America was witnessing a severely diminished threat from the usual suspects, the Soviet Union. Now the point he made was that America was in sort of a bind as there were many people who wanted to eliminate the program altogether. He pointed out that it raised a very serious problem within the Defense community, and the defense of America as well. Suppose you arbitrarily axe a program such as a high Generation Nuclear Submarine like the SSN-21? Well, when the plug gets pulled -jobs are lost. We are not talking about people who flip burgers here, we are talking about highly trained people in very select fields. If America were to lose those people to cutbacks, we lose them to the private sector. Now suppose nobody builds a Nuclear Submarine for five years, then all of the sudden a nation like China goes on a Sub building rampage and creates a threat which requires a specific Sub to challenge it. Guess what, the people aren't in place to build it, and you're not going to find them at any temp agency. As much as people want to eliminate defense spending because maybe it doesn't jive with their ideologies, or whatever -people still have to use common sense when cutting high tech defense programs because although we might not need them today, there's a good chance we'll need them tomorrow. And it makes sense to have the people capable of getting the job done -already in place. Eliminating the Marine Corps is an idea based solely upon irrational and ideologically driven thinking. They are part of the Navy, and have skills no other branch of service is capable of. The Army is not designed to counter a threat in such a timely fashion as a MEU is capable of. The Marines are designed to place a substantial force where it's needed until the Army can get their greater forces into play. We saw this in Saudi Arabia when Saddam invaded Kuwait. The job of our Government first and foremost is to provide for the defense for America, it isn't to leave Americans vulnerable to attack simply to prop up some obscure entitlement programs. Use your heads.

 

[Desperado]

Bring our troops home from Japan, Germany, SKorea... I don't even know why we're still in those places.

This should be the starting point, not to mention Foreign Aid.
Seriously, the government look at all the cuts the government is calling for.
Not one is a cut to Foreign Aid, they definitely need to rethink their priorities.

 

[Freemason9]

With all the talk about sequester and spending cuts, here's a sure fire way to save $29 billion right now: Eliminate the Marine Corps.

There's nothing they do which can't be done by the Army. It's a superfluous and redundant ground force which we really can't afford anymore.

Actually, this does make some sense. The U.S. Army is second to none, and the marines could easily be replaced by armored cavalry units and/or naval attachments.

Of course, I don't think history has ever recorded any successful attempt at reducing the size and belly of the U.S. military corporation.

 

[California Girl]

With all the talk about sequester and spending cuts, here's a sure fire way to save $29 billion right now: Eliminate the Marine Corps.

There's nothing they do which can't be done by the Army. It's a superfluous and redundant ground force which we really can't afford anymore.

How about we eliminate old guys? You don't do anything that can't be done by others. And... even your beloved Zeke Emanuel (daddy of ObamaCare) says that... you - old people - and children under 2 - have no value to the country.

Let's eliminate you and keep the Corps. Ooooorrrrrahhhh!

 

[kwc57]

With all the talk about sequester and spending cuts, here's a sure fire way to save $29 billion right now: Eliminate the Marine Corps.

There's nothing they do which can't be done by the Army. It's a superfluous and redundant ground force which we really can't afford anymore.

You mean except kick the Army's ass?

 

[kwc57]

His sarcasm is no more absurd than your premise.

Why is it absurd? You wanna cut spending or not?

Constitutionally speaking, the one thing the Government is supposed to spend our Taxes on IS the Military, everything else not so much.

Bingo!