Hagel: Defense cuts hurt readiness
Andy sends us a link to an article from AFP which reports that Chuck “Sherlock” Hagel has noticed that sequestration is affecting readiness of the Defense Department. No shit.
The cuts, which amount to nearly $1 trillion for the Department of Defense (DoD) over a decade, were “too steep, too deep and too abrupt,” Hagel told a defense conference in California.
“This is an irresponsible way to govern, and it forces the department into a very bad set of choices,” he said
Automatic cuts of $52 billion set to take place in fiscal 2014 represent 10 percent of the Pentagon budget.
The Navy’s global presence is already down 10 percent since sequestration began in March, while the Army has canceled training rotations for 15 percent of its forces and the Air Force 25 percent of its training events.
“The effects will be felt for a long period of time to come. By continuing to cancel training for non-deploying personnel, we will create a backlog of training requirements that could take years to recover from,” Hagel said.
Yeah, well, the idea for sequestration came out of the White House. Besides, during the election campaign, at one of his debates with Mitt Romney, the President assured us that sequestration wasn’t going to happen. In fact, the Department of Defense never had a plan to implement the cuts, because they didn’t think it would happen. I fault Congress for not having the cojones to come up with budget cuts so that sequestration wouldn’t happen, but this administration was equally nutless for not thinking the implementation through thoroughly.
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Barack Obama/Joe Biden
The same President who assured us that we could keep our insurance policies if we wanted to? That President?
There’s plenty of blame to go around. I’m starting to agree with the “fire them all!” crowd.
That Hagel is pretty smart, we should make SECDEF!
Oh … He already is?
Nevermind …
Isn’t this the same guy who wants to cut pay and benefits for the military? Maybe its not his fault, maybe he’s just bipolar?
Oh but we should be “relieved” because the President’s first choice was John Kerry right? Badumtish!
Cut pay and bennies, but don’t lose personnel? (Walks away laughing.)
Quick on the uptake, our old SecDef. Sharp as a bowling ball. Way to plan ahead. Way to avoid being caught without. What a fucking dipshit.
Hagel got demoted down to Captain Obvious.
Either something is up or he will very soon be the latest former Secretary of Defense. The Emperor has canned about 200 senior officers and, if he had his way, probably would have ‘Stalined’ them. The Emperor does not like dissent and doesn’t tolerate it from among his servants. Now, somebody get the umbrella. Looks like rain.
“… Chuck “Sherlock” Hagel has noticed that sequestration is affecting readiness of the Defense Department.”
What was it that Despicable Me said? … “Light bulb”
Just look at history. After every war, the military is gutted to the bone. Not enough troops, not enough spare parts, not enough people to fix shit, not enough anything—then something bad happens, and they still send the troops in halfass.
Look at 1950 Korea. Look at after Nam (In Germany half our trucks were down for lack of parts, we had half the troops we needed in squads etc). After the Gulf war, they gutted the regulars and reserves, now watch how much the cut…
then something bad will happen in a few years and the military won’t be ready.
“:Mr. President, telephone – 1979 is on the line”
Did Wilson do that after WWI? Or was it his successor?
He didn’t even want to send someone to represent the USA at Paris for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
@6 – Isn’t he the commander of the USS Conspicuous?
I guess this is the place to post this, about the automatic cuts coming from sequestration.
http://news.msn.com/us/military-alters-training-to-deal-with-budget-woes
11 hours flight time per month, minimum, for pilots? On fighter jets, for Pete’s sake? No training for ground troops until they’re nearing deployment?
Oh, do not get me started on this. I keep thinking of the old ‘will come home to roost’ saying.