Oh Heck… This Is Your Tax Dollars at Work.
If I had only seen this earlier: U.S. military to help launch interstellar space travel it may just be sillier than the Fart story?
Darpa, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is looking to award a $500,000 grant to an ambitious organization to figure out just what it would take to transport humans to stars orbiting beyond our galaxy, according to a report in the New York Times.
You folks will have to live with a different retirement program, etc. But some brainiac is aiming for the stars using DOD funds?
To be absolutely clear. The idea is way more than just intriguing from this seat. Still, who decides when to rob Peter to pay Paul?
Category: Geezer Alert!, Pointless blather, Politics
$500K for this is not the problem… that is actually money well spent.
you want to save money?
eliminate all dress uniforms.
prohibit local unit uniform policies. one standard service wide.
eliminate all ceremonial units and bands.
cut the number of star rank slots.
eliminate change of command ceremonies that involve anyone other than the principals, their spouses, their aides and the NCOIC for the units.
ask the question: is a divisional Airborne unit still a useful asset or could the hard and soft costs be better spent somewhere else?
All of those except the cut star ones are terrible ideas.
redc1c4 # 1: Can’t/won’t argue with a word, but… We have NASA. My point remains that the funding for this is coming from the DOD.
You’d have made the same point if you had cited the odd spending from Greenbelt.
We’re going to have to eliminate the dress uniforms just to make room for the different camouflage patterns needed on different planets.
Now lefties will accuse the U.S. of wanting to militarize space.
I’m not against the military *one day* taking a lead in the future of space travel (kinda make sense, as military vessels were used to explore the oceans) but seeing as we’ve not even been to Mars. . . isn’t that a BIT premature.
We do have to capture those aliens we shot at earlier this summer.
“isn’t that a BIT premature.”
That’s how DARPA works, though. The whole idea is to throw money at crazy ideas and hope one of them turns into a major breakthrough.
There are now over 30 private space flight development companies in existence. Let them take the lead on this. The government needs to STOP trying to breathe for us! If they want job development — here’s their sign!! The government needs to BUTT OUT for once!!
If DARPA isn’t just a siphon for DoD money, shouldn’t they be just a bit more concerned about looking for a better body armor? Maybe a successor to the AAV? Ooh, ooh got it, a Gen5 fighter, one that has vectorable thrusters? What’s that? We had one and Obama shit-canned further production? Got it.
Spemd $500,000? All we need to do is interview Dennis Kucinich and Colleen Thomas about their personal alien experiences.
Art Bell, where are you when we need you?
I made a proposal regarding Navy flag-ranks. Here is my idea:
ALL US Navy flag officers will be brevet promotions. Those selected for specific assignments requiring flag rank will undertake said position with the understanding that it is a temporary position. They will receive the rank, benefits & privileges but not the pay.
All officers selected for flag rank will revert to a permanent rank of O-6 upon completion of their assignments, unless their brevet is continued by the CNO.
All officers selected for flag rank, upon retirement, will revert to a permanent rank for retirement of O-6.
This one small measure would allow the CNO to promote those needed for specific assignments requiring flag rank to that position, and would also allow him to promote those most competent for certain assignments, rather than deal with issues of seniority, etc.
The monetary savings would not be insignificant, either.
And I saw this as an opportunity for some of us to get together with some stubby pencils and pads of paper. This seems to be an appeal for a “think tank” (we can do that, can’t we?) to propose some ideas. Not to actually DO anything, just think about it and report.
Looks like an easy $500K, minus the typist who puts together our notes. Space Command, we’re here for you!
Sounds good to me!