Is U.S. Military Preparedness Being 'Killed' By U.S. Budget Cuts?

USS Ronald Reagan and USS Preble during straits training exercise.

PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 1, 2010) The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is underway with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) during a straits training exercise off the coast of California. Ronald Reagan is underway completing a composite training unit exercise in preparation for an upcoming deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dylan McCord/Released)

Budget Cuts Are Killing Military Preparedness -- Loren Thompson, Forbes

The political war in Washington over funding of the federal government has begun to undermine the nation’s military preparedness. Senior military leaders are warning Congress that if the government’s broken budgeting process cannot be made more predictable, it will have a “cascading” effect on the joint force in future years that leaves the force unprepared to respond to new threats.

That message was delivered forcefully to Congress in late April by Secretary of the Army John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Raymond Odierno, who appeared before the armed services committees in both chambers to discuss their service’s fiscal 2014 budget request. The Army is seeking a base budget of $130 billion — about $5 billion less than this year — but like the rest of the military budget that the Obama Administration has requested for the fiscal year beginning October 1, it does not take into account all the cuts mandated by a 2011 deficit-reduction law.

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My Comment: Sequestration is mandating even more budget cuts for next year .... so expect U.S. military preparedness to decrease even further.

A Historical Look On The Consequences Of Cutting Past U.S. Defense Budgets

Paratroopers prepare to hook up an M119A2 105mm howitzer to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during air assault training on Fort Bragg, N.C., Feb. 8, 2013. The paratroopers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

Cutting the Defense Budget: A History -- Alexander Lovelace, Washington Times

U.S. pattern of unpreparedness.

The past year has seen both cries for cutting the defense budget at home and renewed violence abroad. With the economy continuing to decline, and the deficit continuing to rise, it is almost inevitable that the defense budget will continue to shrink. This, unfortunately, is nothing new. Throughout its history the United States has habitually, and foolishly, cut troop strength at the conclusion of its wars, and thus been unprepared when new conflicts emerged. With the debates over the defense budget and sequestration threatening to reduce U.S. troop strength even further, Congress would be well advised to look to history and remember that similar cuts have cost the United States dearly in most of her wars.

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My Comment: A historical perspective of past U.S. military budget cuts .... not a reassuring picture.

Ex-Generals Make The Case For Deep U.S. Defense Cuts

Generals: Get Real And Cut Pentagon Spending -- Robert G. Gard and John Johns, Special To CNN

(CNN) -- A strong U.S. military is indispensable to our national security. As retired military officers, we have dedicated our careers, on active duty and retired, to that end. We have been involved in crafting and teaching national security strategy, of which military strategy and use of military force are vital components.

In the debate over the Pentagon budget and with threats of deeper cuts coming, the president, Congress, governors and the entire defense community are rightly concerned about sequestration, which cuts both domestic and defense spending indiscriminately. It is agreed that overall spending reductions are necessary, but the "fiscal cliff" crisis reflects a lack of political will, not rational planning.

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My Comment: I can understand the argument that the defense budget must be cut to help bring America's fiscal mess into some form of order. But realistically .... when you look at deficit numbers like this one .... even if the defense budget is cut to ZERO!!! .... America/s fiscal mess will still be there.

Sequestration’s Defense Cuts Becoming More Real With Each Passing Day

Sequestration’s Defense Cuts Loom -- Max Boot, Commentary

The newspapers are full of articles about negotiations over tax hikes and spending cuts as Congress and the White House face the impending “fiscal cliff.” There is much less said about another consequence of our mindless budgeting: the very real possibility that our armed forces will face devastating cuts on January 2. That is less than a month away but, given how little attention sequestration is receiving, it feels as if we’re sleepwalking toward disaster.

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My Comment: In all of my years of following US politics and news .... I have never seen anything like this. The whole world is watching the Commander in Chief of a superpower play politics with his defense budget .... an astoundingly wrong impression to give to a world filled with many bad actors on the scene. But such is the state of politics in the U.S. today .... and as I always tell my friends around the world who want to know what is my take on what is happening .... elections have consequences, and the American public have decided that their entitlement programs and uncontrollable spending is far more important than defense budgets and having rich entrepreneurs .... and we better get use to it.

On a side note .... and this is what makes me realize how destructive Washington has been .... even if sequestration does kick in .... the U.S. deficit will still continue to climb by about $1 trillion a year. And if interest rates climb .... as they will .... this debt load will accelerate even quicker.

Update: "Fiscal cliff" talks frozen, Obama lobbies big business -- CBS

The Case For Shrinking The US Defense Budget

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta congratulates Robert M. Gates, who served as the 22nd defense secretary, at the unveiling of Gates' portrait at the Pentagon, Oct. 29, 2012. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Honey, I Shrunk the Pentagon -- Bill Keller, New York Times

LET’S imagine you are the new secretary of defense, and, wow, has Secretary Panetta left you a full docket. You have to extract more than 60,000 troops from Afghanistan without leaving behind a Mad Max dystopia. You have to carry on shadow wars against homicidal extremists, refine contingency plans for Syria and Iran, keep an eye on China’s pushiness and Pakistan’s fragility, all without being too distracted by the frat-house antics of hormonal generals.

It’s easy to overlook in all that excitement, but your best opportunity to make a major contribution to the security of your country is none of the above. It is the unglamorous, unpopular, unfinished business of right-sizing our defense budget, without putting us at grave risk. What’s that you say? You’d rather go back to reading General Petraeus’s flirty e-mails? I sympathize. Imagine trying to get people to read a column about the budget.

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My Comment: I concur .... the most important task for the next U.S. Secretary of Defense will be to cut the US military without impacting it's capabilities. My prediction .... in today's political environment I do not expect him to succeed.

What's Next For The U.S. Military

President Barack Obama delivers remarks to troops at Fort Campbell, Ky., May 6, 2011. Vice President Joe Biden stands at left. Army.mil

What Obama's Re-Election Means For The Military, Veterans -- Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON – Even though Barack Obama has served as commander in chief for the last four years, his re-election Tuesday will mean significant changes for the military in coming months, especially in terms of defense spending.

Where his challenger in the presidential campaign promised big increases in military budgets in coming years, Obama has planned almost $500 billion in spending reductions for the military over the next decade, calling it a responsible post-war plan. Republicans in Congress fiercely oppose the effort, but the president’s re-election blunts their hopes of increasing or even holding steady defense spending.

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My Comment: My prediction .... the slated $500 billion in cuts over 10 years will go through, as well as the sequestration cuts of another $500 billion. And as Leo Shane accurately quotes ....

.... Obama has said he won’t let the military be decimated by sequestration, but also won’t sacrifice other domestic programs to save the services.


Translated .... domestic programs are the priority, and to save them he will cut even more of the military .... which I predict he will. In the end .... after 10 years .... the U.S. will have a military that will probably be far smaller than what it is today, operating on a budget that will be $100 billion+ less per year than what it is today (and that is assuming that inflation will be near zero .... which I strongly doubt will be the case when one considers the amount of money that the FED is printing today)..

How Much Military Can You Buy For $720 Billion A Year?

GOP nominee Mitt Romney at the Virginia Military Institute October 8, 2012. (Shannon Stapleton/Courtesy Reuters)

The 4 Percent Solution: How Much Military Can You Buy For $720 Billion A Year? -- James Carafano, Foreign Policy

Even though the first U.S. presidential debate was not about national security, the military made a brief but striking appearance, with candidate Mitt Romney lamenting what he charged were President Barack Obama's "dramatic cuts to our military." He said: "I do not believe in cutting our military. I believe in maintaining the strength of America's military." Obama, for his part, countered that Romney wanted "$2 trillion in additional military spending that the military hasn't asked for."

The stark contrast raises the question: Is the United States investing adequately for its future defense?

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My Comment: As the politicians debate and argue on what to spend (or not spend) when it comes to the U.S. Military, the Pentagon is living in the real world of what they are about to face.

U.S. Defense Cuts?

What Defense Cuts? -- Mark Thompson, Time

The fear-mongering about impending defense cuts is becoming deafening. Yet even if sequestration happens in January, the Congressional Budget Office says the Pentagon will still be spending as much as it did in 2006. While the cuts may be crude – that is how Congress wrote the law imposing it – they are not draconian.

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My Comment: Forget about 2006 .... I would love to see government spending going back to 1996 levels. Unfortunately .... we do not live in that world anymore. Defense spending .... and government spending in general .... rarely declines .... especially now when so many are dependent on entitlements.

But I think those days are over. Trillion dollar deficits are not sustainable .... the day will come when those cuts will need to be made .... and I doubt that the defense budget will be ignored.

How To Head Off Deep US Defense Budget Cuts

Sailors and Marines on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp enjoy a fireworks display during Fleet Week 2012 in Boston, June 28, 2012. The eight-day event, which coincides with the commemoration of the War of 1812, hosts service members from the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and coalition ships from around the world. U.S. Navy photo

Heading Off Sequestration -- U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, Defense News

What Congress Can Do To Avoid Devastating Cuts.

As the U.S. celebrates the bicentennial of the War of 1812, the lessons of that long-ago conflict should not be forgotten by today’s policymakers. In those bleak years, the U.S. saw that even the border of an expansive ocean would not fully protect our nation.

U.S. resilience reaffirmed our sovereignty during that war. The influence of seapower on national security and commerce was clear then, and it remains the same today. Unfortunately, decisions in the coming months could jeopardize the tools required to maintain America’s leadership in the world.

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My Comment: The Senator outlines very effectively the impact that US defense budget cuts will have .... but I am skeptical that his message is resonating with a majority of Americans. For most Americans the priority is to solve our internal problems and challenges rather than trying to solve the problems and challenges that other countries are facing .... and the first thing that the people are looking at .... politicians included .... is cutting our defense budget.

Is this a smart approach .... probably not .... but with trillions in debt and an economy that is stagnant .... voters are looking for politicians with solutions, and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker's solutions are not hitting most voters.

Update: Tom Switzer at the Sydney morning herald sums it about right .... Bald fact is US power is waning.

A Report Card On The 2013 Defense Budget

The Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Budget: A Report Card -- Center For American Progress

Grading the Pentagon’s Latest Budget Request.

The Obama administration’s fiscal year 2013 defense budget halts the unrestrained growth in baseline military spending that has occurred over the last decade, essentially holding the budget steady in inflation-adjusted terms through FY 2017. But it does little to bring the baseline budget back down from its current level, which remains near historic highs.

If passed by Congress, the proposal would authorize $525.4 billion for the Pentagon’s base budget for the fiscal year beginning in October, a $5.2 billion or 1 percent reduction from this year’s spending level. The proposed budget recognizes that we can no longer afford the runaway growth in defense spending that has occurred since 1998.

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My Comment: This is an analysis that supports the opinion that cutting the U.S. Defense budget is not only possible but necessary.

Should The Strategy Come After Defense Is Cut, Or Before?

Jewel Samad / AFP via Getty Images

Cut Defense Now, Build Strategy Later -- Harvey Sapolsky, Aol Defense

With defense spending cuts looming, Pentagon leaders and their Beltway boosters are using strategy to stall. They argue that cuts must follow program changes that flow in turn from revised national security strategy. Cutting without a strategy, they say, means cutting foolishly and overburdening the shrunken force. So decide the strategy first and then make the cuts accordingly.

But defense cuts don't require new strategy. Coherent national strategy is elusive, especially, now, when threats are limited. Waiting for a new strategic consensus before cutting means waiting forever, which is what hawks want. And sensible defense spending cuts are already identifiable, new strategy or not.

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My Comment: I do not share this assessment .... but .... it is going to happen anyway. Trillion dollar plus deficits can only be sustained for a limited period of time .... and for the U.S. .... that time is now. Expect the cuts first .... followed by the strategy.

A Viewpoint On The Consequences Of Cutting The Defense Budget

Paratroopers charge through the woods during a frontal attack on an insurgent position during a mountain training exercise on Camp Frank D. Merrill near Dahlonega, Ga., Sept. 21, 2011. The paratroopers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The training teaches mountaineering skills and prepares soldiers for deployment to a mountainous region such as Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

Breaking Faith With Our Heroes And Allies -- Max Boot, Commentary

There have been many warnings issued in recent weeks about the consequences of cutting the defense budget—but little in the way of specifics. That’s because the Defense Department​ still hasn’t figured out how it will respond to either the $465 billion of cuts Congress has already mandated this year or the additional cuts, amounting in total to roughly a trillion dollars, that could be imposed if a super-committee doesn’t find some alternative this fall. But the House Armed Services Committee’s majority staff has performed a valuable service by releasing a detailed memo spelling out what cuts on this scale would actually entail.

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My Comment: Scary reading .... that's an understatement.

Is Defense Budget-Cutting ‘Hysteria’ Reaching A Peak?

Has Budget-Cutting ‘Hysteria’ Reached Its Peak? -- DoD Buzz

If Washington cuts back defense spending, a man might come to your house, ring your doorbell and punch you in the face. Your spouse or significant other might leave you. Packs of radioactive zombies might rise from their graves and rampage through our towns and cities. An asteroid might collide with the Earth and kill all life on this planet. You might not get out onto 95 until almost 5 and then you’d just have to sit there in traffic for hours!

Defense advocates have gotten to the point at which they’ll say almost anything to forestall the dreaded Doomsday Device budget sequestration, or spending cuts of that same magnitude imposed some other way. Secretary Panetta has said that if the full cuts happen, the U.S. unemployment rate could go up a whole percentage point to 10 percent — a clear threat to President Obama, for whom jobs are job one in his reelection bid.

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My Comment: What is my take on the question .... "Has budget-cutting ‘hysteria’ reached its peak?". Hmmmm .... in my opinion .... it is just getting started.

Two Opposing Views On Cutting The U.S. Defense Budget

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, address the media during a press conference at the Pentagon, Aug. 4, 2011. The defense leaders focused on debt reduction issues. It was Panetta's first Pentagon press conference since he was sworn in as defense secretary July 1. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Why Defense Spending Should Be Cut -- Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post

The scary aspect of the debt deal meant to force all of Washington to its senses is the threatened cut to defense spending. If the congressional “super-committee” cannot agree on cutbacks of $1.5 trillion, the guillotine will fall and half of those cuts will have to come from expenditures on national security. As with so much Washington accounting, there is lots of ambiguity in baselines and terms (for instance, what is covered under “national security”?). Most experts estimate that the defense budget would lose $600 billion to $700 billion over the next 10 years. If so, let the guillotine fall. It would be a much-needed adjustment to an out-of-control military-industrial complex.

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Cutting Defense Spending Could Hasten America’s Decline as a World Power -- Max Boot, Commentary

I am thoroughly alarmed about the cuts in the defense budget–both those already decided upon ($350 billion-$400 billion during the next ten years) and those that could still come in the fall (another $600 billion–$750 billion unless congressional negotiators can agree on a different menu of spending cuts and revenue enhancers). But not all share my alarm. Some positively welcome the prospect of deep defense cuts. They include, apparently, Fareed Zakaria​, one of our most intelligent and provocative foreign policy commentators–and a committed centrist. Because Zakaria is hardly a wild-eyed pacifist, it makes sense to seriously consider his argument for cutting defense which are similar to those being made by other pundits and lawmakers.

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After Debt Deal, What Will America's Defense Posture Look Like?

What Could Austerity America’s Defense Posture Look Like? -- DoD Buzz

The Pentagon is staring at the prospect of as much as $850 billion in budget reductions over the next 10 years and beyond — which, as DoD and service officials keep saying, will require some major strategic recalculations. Even now, we can only imagine what’s in the PowerPoint slide decks rocketing back and forth across the Building as staffs come up with alternatives and scenarios for absorbing those kinds of cuts. The only upside, from DoD’s perspective, is that it sounds as though the White House and Congress are sold on the idea of a grand strategy that lays out how to move forward and where to accept risks.

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My Comment: My prediction .... these cuts are suppose to start in 2013/14. But .... after calls that we need to take care of our soldiers, fears of terrorism/China/Iran/North Korea/etc., national security commitments, etc. .... these cuts will probably not materialize .... in fact .... if the international political scene becomes even more destabilized .... these cuts may end up becoming budget increases.

That's just my opinion.

The Debt Crisis And Its Impact On U.S. Foreign Policy And Its Military

U.S. Grand Strategy And The Debt Crisis -- Christopher A. Preble, The National Interest

There has been a fair amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth surrounding the debt crisis, most recently about what it might mean for the U.S. military and for U.S. foreign policy.

House Armed Services Committee Chair Buck McKeon has gone on record opposing the Gang of Six proposal on the grounds that it might cut $800 billion from the Pentagon’s budget over the next ten years. According to McKeon, such proposals raise “serious implications for defense and would not allow us to perform our constitutional responsibility to provide for the safety and security of our country or keep faith with men and women in uniform.”

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My Comment: President Obama has made it clear on what are his priorities.

According To Liberal Groups In Washington, Now Is The Time To Gut The U.S. Military

Liberals See Opportunity For Big Cuts In Defense -- Washington Times

Push for troop, arms levels after Cold War.

The political left is pressing the White House and Congress to inflict a wave of Pentagon budget cuts not seen since the post-Cold War 1990s.

Liberals are citing the debt crisis and troop drawdowns from Iraq and Afghanistan to argue that now is the time for the Defense Department to shed people, missions and weapons after a decade of doubling arms spending after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The proposals, including one from the Center for America Progress, go well beyond President Obama’s call in April for $400 billion in defense cuts over 12 years. The center — run by John Podesta, who served as chief of staff to President Clinton — wants that much in reductions over the next three years and $1 trillion from what had been projected increases over the next decade.

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My Comment: For one of the few institutions that most Americans trust and respect .... calls for the U.S. military's quick demise ..... which $1 trillion in cuts over 3 years will do .... will not be heeded. What I do expect is a death by a thousand cuts, and that organizations like Center for America Progress and their recommendations will be used as a reference point by the White House to prove to independents that they are actually not cutting the budget that much .... while in reality they are.

The Coming Pentagon Budget Drawdown -- A Commentary

Leon E. Panetta arrives at the Pentagon before taking the oath of office as the 23rd defense secretary during a Pentagon ceremony, July 1, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

The Pentagon’s Financial Drawdown -- Gordon R. England, New York Times

THE new secretary of defense, Leon E. Panetta, will soon face the challenge of significantly reducing the Pentagon’s budget. As directed by President Obama, he will have to find at least $400 billion of savings over the next 12 years, or $33 billion per year — about 5 percent of the current annual defense budget. His decisions will reshape our armed forces for decades to come and determine whether we live in a more or less dangerous world.

Having overseen the preparation and execution of the defense budget, I urge Mr. Panetta to resist the temptation to quickly kill procurement programs and research and development activities. Nor should he make proportional cuts to programs across the board. History shows that this would result in a hollowed-out force that will embolden our enemies. It’s the easiest way to go, but also the worst.

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My Comment: Facing an order to cut $400 billion(+) from the military budget .... I suspect that many in the Pentagon are probably hoping for changes at the top in next year's Presidential election. But .... I doubt that this will make a difference. There is too much red ink, and the demand among the American electorate is for smaller government .... a sentiment that will inevitably lead to a smaller military.

The Defense Budget Is Not Going To Be Used As A Domestic ATM

President Barack Obama speaks to about 150 soldiers during his first official visit to Fort Drum, N.Y., June 23, 2011. The president thanked the soldiers one day after announcing a drawdown of troops from Afghanistan during a televised address to the nation. The soldiers, assigned to the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, were among the first to deploy to Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. U.S. Army photo by Steve Ghiringhelli

Think Tank To Obama: Defense Budget Not Your Domestic ATM -- The Hill

The conservative Heritage Foundation is taking umbrage with President Obama’s statement that Defense dollars can be used to finance domestic programs.

At issue is a comment the president made in response to a question during his Wednesday Twitter town hall about Defense cuts.

“The nice thing about the defense budget is it’s so big, it’s so huge, that a 1 percent reduction is the equivalent of the education budget,” Obama said, immediately noting he was “exaggerating” the exact numbers.

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My Comment: I am sure President Obama knows that when it comes to spending money .... it is Congress that will decide. And if the budget just passed is any indication .... Congress is making it very clear that the defense budget is not going to be used as an ATM.

What Will Be The Mission For The New U.S. Defense Chief?

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates calls on a reporter for a question at the Pentagon, April 21, 2011. Gates and Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, fielded questions dealing mainly with the situation in Libya and the defense budget. DOD photo by R.D. Ward

The Mission For The New Defense Chief -- National Journal

When Defense Secretary Robert Gates took his post nearly five years ago, his top priority was salvaging the faltering U.S.-led war effort in Iraq. As he prepares to step down this summer, the Defense chief has a new mission: shaping the terms of the coming debate over how much the Pentagon’s budget should be cut to help close the nation’s yawning deficit.

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My Comment: Sadly .... the focus will be to cut the budget rather than focus on the many conflicts that the U.S. now finds itself in. But then again .... budget cutting may be the route by which U.S. forces will start to withdraw from many of these conflicts, and that is the policy (unstated) that this White House wants to pursue.