How politics makes the military pay double

Divine Wind

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Aug 2, 2011
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The left wing constantly bitches about our military budget, but here is a classic example of how our own governments "feel good" politics doubles the cost of our military.

Note this was done last year under Commander in Chief Obama:

Army Aviation Brigade Deploys to Afghanistan Minus Mechanics | Military.com
Call it the case of the marooned military mechanics of Fort Riley, Kansas.

The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan said Thursday that an Army aviation brigade deployed to Afghanistan last year without its mechanics because of the 8,400-troop ceiling on U.S. forces.

Army Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and NATO's Resolute Support mission, said he had to hire contractors at greater expense to taxpayers to make up for each soldier mechanic that the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, had to leave behind.

"We left their mechanics back in Fort Riley and substituted contract mechanics" to work on the brigade's AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, Nicholson said in response to questions from Sen. Deb Fischer, a Nebraska Republican, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the progress of the Afghan war.

Nicholson said the military had to hire two contractors for every soldier mechanic left behind to keep the brigade flying. The troop ceiling also resulted in the Fort Riley mechanics "not having an opportunity to do their jobs."

"This is one of the issues we've put on the table" in ongoing discussions with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford on the possibility of boosting troop levels in Afghanistan, with either additional U.S. or NATO troops, Nicholson said.

Other senators at the hearing focused on numerous instances cited in a recent report of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction of U.S. overreliance on contractors.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, cited SIGAR figures showing that the U.S. is spending $13 million daily in Afghanistan.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at [email protected].
 
The Military isn't forced to pay double for anything. The Military might hire incompetent and even criminal operatives to create and operate the immense budget but when push comes to shove the Military pays for nothing. U.S. taxpayers foot the bill and it's the responsibility of the U.S. taxpayers to elect the people who make sure that the Military does the right thing. Drain the freaking swamp.
 
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The Military isn't forced to pay double for anything. The Military might hire incompetent and even criminal operatives to create and operate the immense budget but when push comes to shove the Military pays for nothing. U.S. taxpayers foot the bill and it's the responsibility of the U.S. taxpayers to elect the people who make sure that the Military does the right thing. Drain the freaking swamp.
Incorrect. It wasn't the military that set the "8,400-troop ceiling on U.S. forces."

If you think Trump will turn the US into an isolationist nation and withdraw all troops back to US soil, I'm willing to bet a $25 USMB membership he does not.
 
I remember fielding a computer system that was supposed to pass request for supplies from forward support battalions to the rear. It seldom ever worked in the field, was ridiculously expensive and years behind off the shelf stuff.

I have no issue with oversight on military spending as long as it doesn't affect readiness or the US military's supremacy.
 
8400 troop ceiling is more than adequate

If you need airplane mechanics, then leave someone home
 
I remember fielding a computer system that was supposed to pass request for supplies from forward support battalions to the rear. It seldom ever worked in the field, was ridiculously expensive and years behind off the shelf stuff.

I have no issue with oversight on military spending as long as it doesn't affect readiness or the US military's supremacy.
CSSCS?
 
I remember fielding a computer system that was supposed to pass request for supplies from forward support battalions to the rear. It seldom ever worked in the field, was ridiculously expensive and years behind off the shelf stuff.

I have no issue with oversight on military spending as long as it doesn't affect readiness or the US military's supremacy.
CSSCS?
Yup. I started dealing with that garbage when I was assigned to a CSSAMO group in 97.
 
8400 troop ceiling is more than adequate

If you need airplane mechanics, then leave someone home
Like the pilots? LOL

The 8400 is a bullshit number for political convenience. Clinton and other Democrats cut the military then tell them to fill a 5 lb bag with 10 lbs of shit.
 
I remember fielding a computer system that was supposed to pass request for supplies from forward support battalions to the rear. It seldom ever worked in the field, was ridiculously expensive and years behind off the shelf stuff.

I have no issue with oversight on military spending as long as it doesn't affect readiness or the US military's supremacy.
CSSCS?
Yup. I started dealing with that garbage when I was assigned to a CSSAMO group in 97.
I worked on that program over 30 years ago. They tried to expand its capabilities too much. We didn't have the computer or network capabilities

I have seen worse in the Army.... Look up FCS
 
8400 troop ceiling is more than adequate

If you need airplane mechanics, then leave someone home
Like the pilots? LOL

The 8400 is a bullshit number for political convenience. Clinton and other Democrats cut the military then tell them to fill a 5 lb bag with 10 lbs of shit.
Kind of like sequester.

8400 is 8400
You gotta prioritize
 
Kind of like sequester.

8400 is 8400
You gotta prioritize
Disagreed. It's a political number, not a military one.

Thanks for tacitly agreeing that the Democrats give the military missions but doesn't support their ability to carry them out.
 
...Thanks for tacitly agreeing that the Democrats give the military missions but doesn't support their ability to carry them out.
We are withdrawing from Afghanistan and the mission is changing
Thanks for proving my point.
We have a military stronger than the next ten countries combined and eight of those countries are our allies

I am not worried about a handful of aviation mechanics
 
We have a military stronger than the next ten countries combined and eight of those countries are our allies

I am not worried about a handful of aviation mechanics
Straw man argument.

We have the mechanics, they just weren't deployed to Afghanistan due to a politically-set arbitrary cap limit on US troops there. Instead, contractors were used at twice the cost to American taxpayers. Did you read the OP?
 
We have a military stronger than the next ten countries combined and eight of those countries are our allies

I am not worried about a handful of aviation mechanics
Straw man argument.

We have the mechanics, they just weren't deployed to Afghanistan due to a politically-set arbitrary cap limit on US troops there. Instead, contractors were used at twice the cost to American taxpayers. Did you read the OP?
Pertains too scope

A. Few maintainers are going rrelevant
 

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