Defense: The U.S. withdrawal from global leadership continues as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel proposes cutting the Army to its smallest size since before World War II, leaving no replacement except tyrants and chaos.
Considering the Obama administration has ignored or violated the Constitution in so many ways, we're not surprised that the imperative to provide for the common defense has been reduced to the level of nonessential discretionary spending. Nor are we surprised Secretary Hagel is the messenger delivering this bad news.
His views differ sharply from those of his predecessor Leon Panetta, who warned that under Obama's budget cuts and sequestration our military would have "(t)he smallest ground forces since 1940," "a fleet of fewer than 230 ships, the smallest level since 1915," and the "smallest tactical fighter force in the history of the Air Force."
Hagel made news in 2011 when he told the Financial Times, after a "trim" of $487 billion from the Pentagon budget, that he wanted even more cuts. "I don't think that our military has really looked at themselves strategically, critically, in a long, long time," Hagel said.
Now we know what they mean. Under the new proposal, the Army would drop over the coming years to between 440,000 and 450,000, the lowest level since 1940 prior to our jolting entry into World War II.
As we recently noted, Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno, the former U.S. top general in Iraq, testified before Congress last September on the anticipated impact of the Budget Control Act and sequestration in 2014.
If the cuts aren't reversed, Odierno told lawmakers, 85% of brigade combat teams would be unable to respond to "contingency requirements" by the end of this year and "will result in a 45% reduction in active Army brigade combat teams."
"That means less tanks, less Bradleys, less trucks, less M-16s, less mortars, less artillery systems . . . it impacts all of our workload, because we're getting smaller."
"In my view," he added, "these reductions will put at substantial risk our ability to conduct even one sustained major combat operation."
Gen. Bob Scales, a retired U.S. Army major general and former commandant of the U.S. Army War College, recently described on Fox News an army that "has got a mortar that was built in 1931. Its main machine gun was designed in 1919. "
"The helicopters that you saw in the latest movie 'Lone Survivor' were designed and built in 1962. We have weapons in the Army that were used by soldiers' great-grandfathers, and yet there is no program in the Army today to develop new materiel."
Our adversaries are rejoicing for what no enemy could do on the battlefield and what President Obama has accomplished from the White House — decimate the U.S. Army. And they'll gladly fill the vacuum he's created.
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5 comments:
Barry's play is to force republicans, who theoretically care about adequate military spending, to accept tax increases, amnesty, expanded democratic party slush fund programs, and gay everything, in exchange for maintaining some military security. The Commander in Chief is holding the military hostage to obtain his redistributive domestic policy goals, which, coincidentally, are designed to ensure a permanent democratic political majority until the end.
No Trialdog, they could stand up, and refuse to go along with this dismanteling of our Military. They could counter with bringing up Impeachment hearings, and refusing to fund the massive welfare state. They could make an all out effort to garner the will of the people on this issue, and buy air time on network television to state their case. But, being the pussies they are, they'll do nothing.
I pity the future generations that will pay in blood for the hollowed out military that will not have the spare parts, equipment, training nor cohesion required to face an enemy assault. Americans do not remember what happened to Task Force Smith that was sent out to "shatter" the North Korean invasion of the South nor the elimination of naval and marine pilots flying obsolete Buffalos and Devastators at Midway.
In 1941 no sane person would believe the Japanese would be stupid enough to attack the US, even the Japanese knew they could not defeat the USA. But their rational did not conform to American thinking and tens of thousands paid with their lives needlessly.
Our military has been strained by the aimless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only should these descredit the limited war mentality but they deprived the military of needed material and upgrades. Our last tanks were build decades ago, our B-52 is fifty years old, our Los Angeles class was designed in the 60s and there is no follow on.
Why is there never the urge to cut the nedless welfare programs ofr the leeches nor any effort to root out the billions in fraud?
While the dems use a wrecking ball the GOP does nothing content to do nothing.
Burn it all down.
While I share the concern over the consequences of these proposed cuts, the hard truth is that our government is spending waaay too much, and laying the groundwork for a financial collapse because of how much money it is creating out of thin air to cover the present revenue shortfall.
We simply cannot afford the present military, as much as we find it useful. When we pull back, and we must if our spending is to stay within revenues, other nations who loth us are going to step in to fill the power vacuum we leave behind.
Overspending, waste and fiat money have consequences, and this is one of them.
-- theBuckWheat
I'm not sure why anyone is surprised by this after all, Hagel was selected for this purpose - putting the face of a squishy rhino to make the cuts.
If the republicans continue to choose the bidding with democrats for the globalists - they should be done. Period!
Now we will see who has some balls to put a stop to this nonsense; the anti-American crook in the white house needs impeachment yesterday and, should not be able to continue his destruction.
Do we have at least one courageous leader or, have they all been turned into p***ies?
I would also expect our military to stand up and say 'enough' with this nonsense. This current crew in the white house are really setting us up for the kill and, nobody notice?
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