Obama to Kill Tomahawk, Hellfire Missile Programs Cornerstone of U.S. Naval power eliminated

President Barack Obama is seeking to abolish two highly successful missile programs that experts say has helped the U.S. Navy maintain military superiority for the past several decades.

The Tomahawk missile program—known as “the world’s most advanced cruise missile”—is set to be cut by $128 million under Obama’s fiscal year 2015 budget proposal and completely eliminated by fiscal year 2016, according to budget documents released by the Navy.

In addition to the monetary cuts to the program, the number of actual Tomahawk missiles acquired by the United States would drop significantly—from 196 last year to just 100 in 2015. The number will then drop to zero in 2016.

The Navy will also be forced to cancel its acquisition of the well-regarded and highly effective Hellfire missiles in 2015, according to Obama’s proposal.

The proposed elimination of these missile programs came as a shock to lawmakers and military experts, who warned ending cutting these missiles would significantly erode America’s ability to deter enemy forces.

“The administration’s proposed budget dramatically under-resources our investments in munitions and leaves the Defense Department with dangerous gaps in key areas, like Tomahawk and Hellfire missiles,” said Rep. Randy Forbes (R., Va.), a member of House Armed Services Committee.

“Increasing our investment in munitions and retaining our technological edge in research and development should be a key component of any serious defense strategy,” he said.

My husband is Retired SCPO over 65 thus on Tricare Life as he is over 65. So our health care is Medicare/Tricare Life.

New DOD budget changes are going to impact us negatively. And family owned Pharmacies. Me more than my husband, as I am high drug sensitive.

We received a prelim letter last week that MANDATES we either obtain our medicines from the Naval Base or Express Scripts, mail order.

The drugs at the base are very limited. Express Scripts is mail order. But there are problems with it. From sending the wrong medicines, to sending them late, short, and they are tossed up on your porch UNSIGNED FOR. Ripe for theft.

TRICARE LIFE Retired Military over 65 just received this noticed 2 weeks ago, takes effect 4/14/2014, why they sent a prelim with out the drug list is WASTEFUL spending in itself!

PLEASE NOTE THE PALM GREASING IN THE FIRST LINK! THAT IS THE REAL PROBLEM, NOT Retiree’s health care.

All I see is a nightmare. ES cannot be trusted to get the RIGHT manufacture, and not all generics are equal to name brand. While using EX sounds good, there are big problems with it, especially for a drug sensitive persons. Samples should come before a drug is filled to weed out in the least costly fashion those a person will react to.

I did not include the cover letter.

This is a Prelim letter, we don’t even know at this time which drugs are going to be on the list. Waste of money to not send out the full thing. But then again government is good at wasting money.

These are the option we are going to be given in a “new” Pilot program from Tricare Life.

1 Transfer your medication from a retail pharmacy to save , convenient Tricare Home Delivery and pay less out of pocket! A typical cost for a 90 day retail supply is $51 but only $13 for Home Delivery.

2 Ask your doctor about using a low cost generic that is not among the medications included in the Pilot Generics can still be filled at retail for $5

3 Transfer maintenance medications under the Pilot from retail pharmacy to a military pharmacy. Call your local military pharmacy to see if they have you medication
4 Continue to get you selected maintenance medications at a retail and pay 100% of the cost of the medication starting with your third refill.

If you refill your selected maintenance medication’s at a retail pharmacy after March 14, 2014 you’ll get letters from the Tricare Pharmacy contractor Express Scripts, Inc about switching to Home Delivery. Remember, starting with your third fill you will be responsible for 100% of the cost of the medications if you chose to continue to obtain them at a retail pharmacy.

If you have other health insurance with a prescription benefit, you do not fall under the Pilot. There will also be a process to obtain waivers on a case by case basis, due to personal need or hardship, emergency or other special circumstaces-0 such as living in a nursing home. After participating in the Pilot for 1 year you may opt out.

Military Waste and Fraud Continue In the Middle of the Government Shutdown HERE IS YOUR PROBLEM : PALM GREASING

Washington’s Blog
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/10/wasted-military.html

http://www.reuters.com/investigates/pentagon/#article/part1

Mugging the Military
http://www.ijreview.com/2012/06/9466-mugging-soldiers/

Mugging our Troops
http://www.reuters.com/investigates/pentagon/#article/part1

0bama to Force Military Families Away From Tricare ...By Tripling Their Fees. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.”
CBO: The military is getting squeezed for domestic spending cash
http://www.humanevents.com/2014/02/26/cbo-the-military-is-getting-squeezed-for-domestic-spending-cash/

Pentagon Outlines Increased Tricare Fee Proposal
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/03/05/pentagon-outlines-increased-tricare-fee-proposal.html?comp=7000023317828&rank=1

The good news is that Obama doesn't even get to PRIORITIZE defense spending. Congress will determine how much of what is purchased. Exclusively.

That is cold comfort.

Congress has been pushing for budget cuts, and they really didn't care that the majority of them for the past several years have come from Defense.

Many of the Tea Party have more in common with left with liberals vis a vis military spending than they ever did with Ronald Reagan.

According to The Weekly Standard, Republicans in Congress made a "secret deal" with Obama in 2010 to cut military spending by hundreds of billions. It was cut again by $487 Billion over ten years starting in 2012, and in 2013 Sequestration kicked in, gutting it by a further $650 Billion over ten years, with all of the money for 2013 kicking in halfway through fiscal year 13! A full 50% of all Sequestration cuts must be "paid for" by the military, despite it being less than 18% of the Federal budget.

Yes, Sequestration originated in the Obama White House with OMB Director Jack Lew, but the Republicans "embraced" it, and then strutted that they were "proud" of it. The US military is being ripped apart. North Korea, Syria, China, Iran, and Russia have noticed.

And who are we supposed to turn to? Libertarians like Rand Paul? He never met a defense cut he didn't love.

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.