Army's problems go deeper than SCMR

Quick Summary:

The secretary laid out two paths if Congress and White House remain unable to reach a budgetary “grand bargain” that would reverse the $500 billion in budget cuts that the Pentagon will face over the next decade, beginning with a $52 billion hit in 2014.

One plan would prioritize high-end capabilities over end-strength numbers, while the other would keep end-strength while sacrificing modernization and research and development on next-generation platforms.

www.marinecorpstimes.com...

But here's the rub:

The dirty little secret in the rush to gain some cost savings, however, is that even letting go of 80,000 soldiers won’t actually save the Army a dime.

All of the funds earmarked for paying those soldiers over the 490,000 threshold come from supplemental war accounts, and don’t count toward any sequestration savings — which means barring deeper and faster cuts, the service won’t save any money on force reductions until the fiscal 2018 budget.

And the service desperately needs those savings. The Army already spends 46 percent of its budget on compensation, a number that service chief Gen. Ray Odierno has warned will rise to 80 percent in a decade if compensation trends continue.

What’s more, even forcibly separating soldiers won’t reduce the strain on budgets all that much. Service contracts include provisions for unemployment and other benefits for about a year after a soldier leaves the force, so the service still has to pay for former soldiers months after they separate.

What has kept the US as the primary superpower in the world??? It's economic & technological strength...and it's awesome military power.

Well, we are seeing the country go bankrupt.....check

We no longer hold intellectual capital (it goes elsewhere)......check

And before the next 1-2 years are done, we will no longer hold military superiority......check

Looks like someone's plan to tear America down from the inside has succeeded.

Never mind...

reply to post by CIAGypsy


Are they gonna shut down the overseas USA military bases in Japan,South Korea etc?

Originally posted by starwarsisreal
reply to post by CIAGypsy

 

Are they gonna shut down the overseas USA military bases in Japan,South Korea etc?

They will not shut down bases in strategic locations like Japan and South Korea. However, you may see a large cutback in personnel at those locations. No area will be spared.

There is another plan.

It's called "blow some stuff up"...and it's not a new plan. It has worked for them in the past and after they use the plan "blow some stuff up" and everybody wants our blood, then NO ONE will be able to deny just how badly we need the military... now will they?

reply to post by CIAGypsy


Seems like the military, whose only duty is to defend the country, has mainly only shot the country in the foot.

Originally posted by ImaFungi
reply to post by CIAGypsy

 

Seems like the military, whose only duty is to defend the country, has mainly only shot the country in the foot.

...but the military spared us from one of the biggest attacks on US soil, so military might is very important.

...oh wait...

reply to post by CIAGypsy


It's a difficult choice for the Army, i would think the hi-tech spending would be a better option.

Originally posted by ImaFungi
reply to post by CIAGypsy

 

Seems like the military, whose only duty is to defend the country, has mainly only shot the country in the foot.

The military does as they are ordered. If they c shot the country in the foot," it comes from the Commander in Chief and his department.

reply to post by CIAGypsy


Curious where that 40+% on compensation number comes from.

That seems high. Granted it is probably some creative accounting since most of the DoD budget lately has been CR or "external" funding.

It seems to me to be a staging statement. Setting up for something else.

reply to post by CIAGypsy


Your Conditioned to believe everything you're told. 'Respect soldier they're heroes' only in your land, elsewhere they are murderers and rapists.

Originally posted by FreedomJoseph
reply to post by CIAGypsy

 

Your Conditioned to believe everything you're told. 'Respect soldier they're heroes' only in your land, elsewhere they are murderers and rapists.

I am far from "conditioned" for anything....and you really know absolutely NOTHING about me to base that statement on. I work with military personnel on a regular basis. My father was a highly decorated soldier in Special Forces (retired now). There are books and google searches about him.... My younger sister also served in the US military. I personally could have had a very successful career in the military but chose to work with them on a civilian level instead for my own reasons.

Yes, there *are* murderers and rapists in the military. Yes, rape has been covered up in the military. But it is a GROSS misstatement to claim that the military are only "heroes" in the US and considered "murderers and rapists" elsewhere. The US military has made very positive steps and helped many people worldwide....

So step off your hidden agenda soapbox and stop talking about things you know nothing about.

reply to post by CIAGypsy


Ignore the idiot. They're just bidding time until school starts. Probably their fifth or sixth account after being banned previously.

And if he does actually believe what he typed...well, I did say he was a idiot. And quite well brainwashed at that.

Back on topic, I have been through a couple of drawdowns myself and it is never a good time for those involved.

If the D0D would cut back on useless R&D programs, the majority which fail, then we could free up some money for elsewhere.

reply to post by TDawgRex


I know several civilian companies who hold military contracts to provide particular services. The contractors who work for these companies often have better (and, in some cases, even more technologically advanced) equipment than our own soldiers. These companies receive these contracts worth an astronomical amount of money.

If I had control of that budget.....I'd perhaps cut those contracts first and reinvest that money into the military "owned" resources (soldiers, equipment, etc...).

But that's actually logical.....can't have that.

reply to post by CIAGypsy


Used to be that DARPA or the DoD asked Soldiers what they needed. Oh...they still do that, they just don't listen anymore, with the exception of MRE's. Just look at the US Army's ACU's. Nobody liked them, but they were approved anyways.

There also used to be a program within the military (I don't know if it exists anymore) that would pay Soldiers a bonus when they came up with a idea that actually made sense.

I knew a guy who used off the shelf items to come up with a target that you could zero a thermal rifle scope with. The program awarded him with $25,000.00 dollars before taxes. Apparently, the DoD had been working on this issue for some time to the tune of millions. That was back in the early nineties.

What's funny about that story is that he invested some of that bonus into the lottery and won $4 million. He had two years left till his retirement and the Army tried to kick him out because he was now wealthy. He took the case to JAG and won. He did his final two years and retired.

I love a happy ending.