"The U.S. Military Is Suffering A Crisis Of ..." Topic
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Tango01 | 05 Jun 2017 9:46 p.m. PST |
… Strategy, Not Just One Of Readiness. "A recent blog in The Hill by Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) summed up the situation facing the U.S. military succinctly: "in recent years, Congress has received repeated warnings from senior military officials across every service, testifying to the readiness crisis facing our military. Taken together, their statements are staggering." According to the 2017 Index of U.S Military Power published by the Heritage Foundation, the overall threat level to the U.S. and its interests is high while the condition of the U.S. military, at best, is marginal. According to these senior military officials and numerous published accounts, the Army has only three brigade combat teams out of more than 50 fully manned, equipped and trained for major conflict. The proposed Fiscal Year 2018 Army budget will modernize only 20 Abrams tanks and 135 Bradley Fighting Vehicles (there are more the 6,000 of each in the inventory) and will not procure any new Stryker combat vehicles. Due to a lack of spare parts and insufficient maintenance dollars, only about half of Navy and Marine Corps front line fighters are currently available for combat. In addition, the Air Force is short some 1,000 pilots even though its size has shrunk significantly over the past decade…" Main page link Amicalement Armand
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Lion in the Stars | 06 Jun 2017 3:53 a.m. PST |
As usual, the biggest threat to any nation's military is that nation's lawmakers, since the lawmakers always want money going to their own pet project(s) or their own districts. If not their own pockets. |
15mm and 28mm Fanatik | 06 Jun 2017 7:25 a.m. PST |
Not just lawmakers but also career officers (generals and colonels) in the Pentagon who have a vested interest in protecting their turf and programs. |
paulgenna | 06 Jun 2017 10:25 a.m. PST |
The generals and admirals are more interested in protecting their careers after the service. We pay way too much and the pentagon should be stopping it but they allow it. |
Major Mike | 06 Jun 2017 11:35 a.m. PST |
Tremendous amount of War profiteering has and is occurring and it is being condoned by the political/military leadership. The Cold War Army was heavily mechanized and almost twice the size of the current military and was able to achieve more with less. The current problems are to be laid at the feet of past and current leadership. |
zoneofcontrol | 06 Jun 2017 1:44 p.m. PST |
Similar to the recent walk-out of the pending VA Hospital records system upgrade project. One of the many obstacles in the way is the bunch of people entrenched in the 70s/80s era computer system currently in use. |
piper909 | 06 Jun 2017 8:44 p.m. PST |
This county spends way, WAY more than any possible rival on its military. So where is all this money going? |
Lion in the Stars | 08 Jun 2017 9:20 a.m. PST |
mostly into testing and certification of parts to actually meet the military specification. A military 200kw generator on a trailer is something like $100 USDk, while a civilian version might be $10 USDk. Military version runs on different fuel (JP8 versus diesel), has a massively stronger trailer frame built to be pulled at 45mph off-road, the tires and suspension are also made to handle 45mph off-road, and even the trailer hitch is different (a simple, easy-to-hook and detach "O" instead of a ball hitch). The legendary $25 USDk toilet seat was a 5ft square piece of injection-molded plastic, tooling cost alone was about $250 USDk and the USAF only ordered 25 seats. |
Apache 6 | 08 Jun 2017 10:25 a.m. PST |
"The generals and admirals are more interested in protecting their careers after the service." – Have you ever met a general officer or admiral? I doubt anyone who knows many of them would think that. I'm sure there are some, but the majority of them are very much concerned about their troops first and their duty to the Nation/taxpayers. There is a lot of missed opportunities and some waste in the Department of Defense budget. But it's still known as being one of the more efficient organizations in the federal government (admittedly – that's akin to being the most virtuous prostitute, but…) The Federal Acquisition Rules are a huge part of the problem. Some of the rules make sense for major weapon systems but are also required (BY LAW) to be applied to other things. If you have to go through a four – six year process to approve the purchase of computers, then you are ensuring the computers will be obsolete when fielded. Often "congressional assistance" which too often means I want something built in my district, whether it makes strategic, operational or economic sense results in waste or overspending. I know that back around 2008(ish) Navy and Marine Corps lawyers spent months working with and testifying before congress to secure exceptions from the "Americans with disabilities act" requirements for all new Government building to be built as handicapped accessible. That would have added about 20% in costs to a large number of new barracks that were being built. (NOTE: The wounded warrior regiments facilities are a completely different story and are "accessible.") |
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