pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

With the Army reduced to pre-World War II low, we will be set-up for a major overthrow. God Bless the United States of America and damn the Obama administration. I guess the millions of dollars saved in reducing our military, will go to fund more negative action/benefit programs?

Obama admin plans to shrink Army to pre-World War II low
By United Press International February 24, 2014 12:22 pm

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel plans to shrink the U.S. Army to its smallest force since before World War II, Pentagon officials told the New York Times.

The plans, to be laid out in Hagel's first defense budget Monday, call for the entire fleet of Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft to be eliminated, the newspaper said, citing Pentagon officials ahead of Hagel's release of the spending plan.

The twin-engine jet is the only Air Force aircraft designed solely for close air support of ground forces. It was developed in the 1970s to attack Soviet tanks in case of a European invasion -- capabilities the Pentagon deems less relevant today, the Times said.

The proposed budget includes limits on military pay raises, higher fees for military healthcare benefits and less generous military housing allowances, the Wall Street Journal said.

Pentagon officials describe the cuts as a modest and realistic plan to save billions of dollars needed to protect other critical portions of U.S. defense spending, the Journal said.

The proposed changes, which will be subject to congressional approval, are intended to comply with the Bipartisan Budget Act reached by President Barack Obama and Congress, the Times said. That deal, which passed the House Dec. 12 and the Senate Dec. 18, imposes a military spending cap of about $496 billion for the 2015 fiscal year.

The changes, endorsed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are also intended to conform to Obama's pledge to end two costly and exhausting land wars.

A result will be a military capable of defeating any adversary, but too small for prolonged foreign occupations, Pentagon officials told the Times.

"We're still going to have a very significant-sized Army," an official said. "But it's going to be agile. It will be capable. It will be modern. It will be trained."

The Army, which did the most U.S. fighting and had the most casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq, is proposed in Hagel's budget to drop to 440,000 to 450,000 troops, the smallest force since 1940, the Times said.

It was already scheduled to drop to 490,000 troops from a post-Sept. 11, 2001, peak of 570,000.

Money saved by cutting the number of personnel would assure U.S. fighting soldiers would be well trained and supplied with the best weaponry, the officials told the newspaper.

The cuts in housing allowances and other benefits, such as less support for grocery stores that offer discounts to military families, reflect economic realities, the Defense Department said.

"Personnel costs reflect some 50 percent of the Pentagon budget and cannot be exempted in the context of the significant cuts the department is facing," department spokesman Adm. John Kirby told the Journal.

"Secretary Hagel has been clear that, while we do not want to, we ultimately must slow the growth of military pay and compensation," Kirby said.

Hagel's plan calls for a one-year pay freeze for the Defense Department's top military leaders -- a gesture the Journal said was meant to show that even the best-compensated leaders would make sacrifices.

papayanirvana Loc: Kauai

great... now we can only destroy the world 12 times over instead of 23.

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Obama is also crippling the Navy. And this is especially troubling with China being so aggressive and rapidly building an enormous blue water Navy.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

I really hate that don't you? It's like a coach telling his team not to score any more points. I like having more than enough to get the job done. :thumbup:

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

They build up and we shrink down. What a recipe for disaster. Especially with our manufacturing capabilities in such poor shape. If we had to rush production like the beginning of WW II we would be SOL. :shock:

Ront53 Loc: Maryland

I guess they never heard "Peace through strength"

papayanirvana Loc: Kauai

...because everything military is so inexpensive and we are so rich?

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

I'd rather spend the money on the military than all of the government hand out programs. :thumbup:

Black Bart Loc: Indiana

Hagel's plan calls for a one-year pay freeze for the Defense Department's top military leaders -- a gesture the Journal said was meant to show that even the best-compensated leaders would make sacrifices.

How much of a cut is congress going to take.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

That's that's funny. Best line I've heard today. Thanks!!!!! :lol: :thumbup:

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

Next thing you know, they'll want to give more money to our potential enemies ... just to level the playing field. It's time for them to "have the big stick."


IDIOTS!

Ront53 Loc: Maryland

Other people who dislike the US are going to start causing problems and because of the deficit and the cut in the military there will be nothing we can do. That will leave the people in the United States at risk. The other question is, why is Homeland Security stock up on ammunition and training their forces. Are we looking at a return of the Nazi brown shirts in the US. Or Obama brown shirts.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

Budget issues. If the different departments don't spend their allotted funds they won't get the same amount the following year. That's part of the reason there is so much waste in government. A bunch of paper pushers defending their territory regardless of the cost to taxpayers. Here's an example at a smaller level. I friend of mine is a school teacher and coach at a public high school. The school system kept a warehouse full of supplies needed in the classrooms. He and the principle go to the warehouse with shopping carts and he was told to grab a lot of everything. Even when my friend said he had everything he could possibly need he was encouraged to get more. If he didn't exceed his budget it would be cut back. Waste at a smaller level but still waste. You would not see this scenario in a private school that didn't have the bottomless pit of taxpayer dollars. :thumbup:

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

A very perceptive observation. Our mfg and heavy industry has been in decline for decades, a trend which has been deliberately accelerated by the current administration. (Among other actions, he closed down the last lead smelting plant in the US.) Along with the factories, we have also lost the tremendous human resources of skilled workers. It's been pointed out that we probably couldn't make battleships now even if we wanted to, because we don't have the skilled welders and other skilled workers that we had during WWII.

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Roman saying:

"The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war."