Defense Budget Priorities

[PortDawg]

A few few highlights...only 16 pages.. Posting without comment for now. I'll add my thoughts later on...

Page 5 lists sustainment of Army and USMC force structure in the Pacific,
while maintaining persistent presence in the Middle East and funding
development of an afloat forward staging base.

Page 6 lists the expected Navy cuts (7 Cruisers, reducing JHSV, etc) and Air
Force (6 Squadrons)...

Page 7 lists decrease of 2 BCTs from Europe and "aligns BCTs with each
regional COCOM"

Page 8 lists retirement of 27 C-5As, 65 C-130s and divests 38 C-27s.

Page 11 lists cuts in Army from 570K to 490K and Marines from 202K to 182K.
Also states Army to remove "at least 8 BCTs from its existing structure,
however, the future organizing construct of the Army is under review".

Page 12 states only "marginal reductions in ARNG and USAR and no reductions
in USMCR.

Page 15 are health care and retirement implications.

[Stangkiller]

Its so sad, that only defense gets cuts, space gets gutted with all the $$ being given to lobyists instead.

Yet we continue to pump money into the poor and only get more poor.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

Its so sad, that only defense gets cuts, space gets gutted with all the $$ being given to lobyists instead.

Yet we continue to pump money into the poor and only get more poor.

if the politicians don't continue to support policies that keep the poor on the plantation, how could they ever expect to stay in power...

[Stangkiller]

Originally Posted by LarsAtTheBeach

if the politicians don't continue to support policies that keep the poor on the plantation, how could they ever expect to stay in power...

That's fine, it's their head when we nolonger can afford any of it, and we have a bunch of pissed off Occupiers with pitch forks standing on the white house lawn.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

That's fine, it's their head when we nolonger can afford any of it, and we have a bunch of pissed off Occupiers with pitch forks standing on the white house lawn.

can't understand why the occupy crowd is not already there...

[Chris Fowler]

I have no issue with cuts to the defense department budget as a part of a comprehensive plan to make across the board budget cuts.

As to whether or not this plan is any good, I do not have the expertise to make that call. Several of the changes seem logical to me. But my faith in those making the final decision on it (Panetta and Obama) is non-existent.

[LATB]

Obama is cutting the military budget because he knows it won't upset his voters...may even make them happy.

now, if he cuts entitlements...Stangkiller is probably correct...Obama's voters would show up with pitch forks and demands...