Another Hollow Army??

[BMT (RIP)]

Curtail training, including training events, not related to maintaining
readiness for Operation Enduring Freedom, the Korean forward-deployed units,
Homeland Defense and the Division Ready Brigade.

http://www.defensenews.com/article/2...medium=twitter

Scroll down to find Army plan.

BMT

[BMT (RIP)]

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2...tml?ESRC=eb.nl

"We are on the brink of creating a hollow force," said the letter signed by the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard, as well as the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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[TXGringo]

"The Pentagon is facing two major money problems. First is the threat of drastic additional budget cuts if Congress and the Obama administration are unable to agree on debt-reduction measures by March. The second is Congress' failure thus far to pass a 2013 budget; that has left the Pentagon on a spending path based on its previous budget."

I understand the first problem, but not the second.

They make it sound like last year's budget won't even come close, saying "the rest of the force will be severely compromised if the Pentagon has to continue operating on last year's budget."

How could spending be so much higher that the budget only one year removed won't cut it? Especially considering the troop reductions that I thought were taking place?

[TXGringo]

Originally Posted by DocIllinois

IMHO, a military that is less bureaucratic and more tailored to modern missions would be a good start after the cuts hit.

Sir, from the outside looking in, I would agree.

I'm just confused as to how the people at the top can say they need more money when they're supposed to be cutting back in the first place.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by TXGringo

....I understand the first problem, but not the second.

They make it sound like last year's budget won't even come close, saying "the rest of the force will be severely compromised if the Pentagon has to continue operating on last year's budget."

How could spending be so much higher that the budget only one year removed won't cut it? Especially considering the troop reductions that I thought were taking place?

Ah, the wonders of base line budgeting.

There has not been a budget passed and signed by the Senate is something going on 4 years now. The house has passed budgets and sent them to the Senate but the Snate has sat on them.

The basic budget now increases a set % every year - unless Congress passes a budget that is more or less than the base line increase.

But under the sequestration "deal" cut last year there will be real cuts from the military budget - but not for anyone else. Thank your Republican Leadership for that one.

[Richard]

Worst case scenario - will we be able to fund enough BCTs to carry out OPLAN 23Skidoo to defend ourselves against the coming jellyfish apocalypse in Bugtussle, Kentucky?

In the interim, I suspect we'll continue to do it the Thomas Highway way - improvise, adapt, and overcome.

Richard

[longrange1947]

The first thing they can do is get rid of about half of the field grade and flag grade officers and about 2/3s of the CSMs and SGMs. IMHO that would do more good that anything. We are now so top heavy as to be wallowing in the mud of indecision and BS. The good idea fairy, also known as the f**k up fairy flies through the halls of HQs with all sorts of places to land.

My 2 cents.

[afchic]

Originally Posted by longrange1947

The first thing they can do is get rid of about half of the field grade and flag grade officers and about 2/3s of the CSMs and SGMs. IMHO that would do more good that anything. We are now so top heavy as to be wallowing in the mud of indecision and BS. The good idea fairy, also known as the f**k up fairy flies through the halls of HQs with all sorts of places to land.

My 2 cents.

Here Here. Buy this man a beer. I hate the good idea fairy. Someone should have taken that B*@ch out a long time ago.

[afchic]

Originally Posted by Pete

Ah, the wonders of base line budgeting.

There has not been a budget passed and signed by the Senate is something going on 4 years now. The house has passed budgets and sent them to the Senate but the Snate has sat on them.

The basic budget now increases a set % every year - unless Congress passes a budget that is more or less than the base line increase.

But under the sequestration "deal" cut last year there will be real cuts from the military budget - but not for anyone else. Thank your Republican Leadership for that one.

From the memos we have been given by DSCA, DOD will run out of money around the middle of July, if a deal or a budget isn't forthcoming.

I work in an Insititution that has approximately 90 folks, 4 of which are active duty military. We are trying to figure out ways we are going to keep our Security Coopeation training (paid for out of the FMS Trust Fund so it will still continue) going with only 4 instructors. Rolling furloughs, cancellation of our leaves, etc are all being discussed. We have a bunch of new hires that are worried their contracts will be cancelled. And they aren't even O&M funded positions, they are FMS Admin funded positions.

Hubby is a GS, so we have put enough money away to cover his losing a month of pay. We are lucky we can afford to do it, I bet not many GS3-11s can do it. It is going to get ugly folks. I have no confidence in our government that they can work out a deal that won't impact DoD at some level.

[longrange1947]

afchic remember DOD is the easy target even though most waste is elsewhere.

[bubba]

The only thing worse than a "good idea fariy" is the oryacan bird (usually the warrent).........

Why is it we have the SAME number of GO's now as we did in 1945? We have like what, 6 divisions now and had 96 then......... Just a little food for thought.

[Utah Bob]

Originally Posted by TXGringo

Sir, from the outside looking in, I would agree.

I'm just confused as to how the people at the top can say they need more money when they're supposed to be cutting back in the first place.

People at the top always say they need more money.
Always.

[Razor]

Most of the GS in my office have selflessly offered to go to a 4 day work week.

[afchic]

Originally Posted by longrange1947

afchic remember DOD is the easy target even though most waste is elsewhere.

Agree wholeheartedly. It is easier to say freeze the pay of goverment civilians. put them on furlough, etc.. than it is to say we are going to trim food stamps, welfare, etc... There are only 800K civilians in DOD vs Millions of them. It's all about the votes , not what is actually good for the country.

[69harley]

Originally Posted by Razor

Most of the GS in my office have selflessly offered to go to a 4 day work week.

Would like to know more about this 4-day work week you speak of.