Posted on 02/09/2013 4:46:32 PM PST by SkyPilot
The Pentagon will have to cut the size of U.S. military forces for the second time in as many years if across-the-board spending reductions of $470 billion over 10 years take effect March 1, the top U.S. military officer said on Saturday.
General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said about a third of the cuts would have to come from forces, with the remaining two-thirds taken from spending on modernization, compensation and readiness.
He noted that the Army had begun to shrink last year toward 490,000 from a high of 570,000, a result of efforts to trim $487 billion over 10 years as required by the Budget Control Act of 2011.
The Budget Control Act also envisioned the additional across-the-board cuts under a process known as sequestration. If those cuts go into effect, "the Army will have to come down again," Dempsey said.
Speaking to reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan, Dempsey said two recent high-profile examples of belt-tightening were attempts by the Pentagon to adapt to the current challenging budget climate and had nothing to do with sequestration.
The Pentagon said last week it would seek a smaller-than-expected pay increase of 1 percent for military personnel in the 2014 fiscal year budget. Pay increases have generally been pegged to an employment cost index and had been expected to rise 1.7 percent.
"That action is being taken to help us absorb the $487 billion in the Budget Control Act. It has nothing to do with sequestration," Dempsey said.
A defense official said the lower pay increase would save the department about $470 million during the 2014 fiscal year. The savings would amount to $3 billion over five years because future increases would be based on the lower 2014 raise.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
We can't fund carrier strike groups, but Republicans and Democrats in Congress fully funded (for another year) extending unemployment benefits (yet again) to the tune of Billions of Dollars.
Entitlements are exempt from sequestration, and are 62% of the budget, yet we rape the military, and even the Republicans are cheering this time.
The DoD is under a triple curse: the previous Obama cuts of $487 Billion, the Continuting Resolution, and now the looming $600+ Billion in Sequestration cuts.
"What we've got to make clear to the Congress next week (is) that it's not just about sequestration. We're trying to absorb the $487 billion Budget Control Act, we're trying to absorb the challenges that were imposed on us by the continuing resolution and we're anticipating absorbing sequestration," Dempsey said.
Good thing everybody who wants one is getting "their" check though.
Obama targets military it is all BS.
Sort of hard to believe we can afford to give a bunch of F-16s to a country controlled by terrorists.
Not to worry. The Gays and the Women will be safe from these cuts.
Pharaoh Obumer must trying to get that Army down to what was authorized in the 1930’s; 127,000.
When threatened with budget cuts, the heads of an organization present the more drastic alternatives to cutting actual waste.
Every organization wastes money. When I was in the corporate world I saw tremendous waste. When I was in the military I saw even more. The individual men and women in the military deserve our greatest respect. But as an organization, the military is another government agency subject to the same tendencies to bloated bureaucracy and fiscal negligence as any other.
I can name a few generals we can get rid of.
Congress is too stupid to figure out how to write their own budget for five years, but smart enough to tell the Military what their budget will be.
Amazing...
Interesting times, yet we gut the military in favor for an entitlement class, lol.
Obama called for these cuts. He is going to win wars with his drones.
Yes we all know that, apparently the GOP leadership does not give a hoot which is really interesting.
With all the recent ammo sales, and other diverse goings on, I think it is a good possibility that this administration has/is creating a black citizen suppression army. The standing army will not fight citizens within the country’s boundaries.
That will be Obama’s top priority if he has his way. Our regular army serves no purpose to Obama.
Obama’s sequester bluff has backfired on him.
Obama is going to cut the military budget no matter what sequestration does. It’s better to let sequestration go on and thus give the Republicans more leverage, than give in now, and have the military cut anyway.
sequester only cuts the increases - what is being spent today is not affected.
this, IMO, all aimed at manipulating the American mind and put pressure on our weak kneed politicians.
Look at the medals that Dempsey is wearing. The guy has been driving a desk and anal smooching his whole career. That’s why he is in the top job to help ruin the military.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.