Secretary of Defense Hagel- Massive Cuts to Troop Numbers

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Here we go again, we going to cut our military personnel strength to take the place of useless toys. The Money pit LCS program, the F-35's all expensive and worthless. We "drawdown" again while our enemies build up their forces. As the world watches, we publicize our stupidity. Congress needs to be fired these retired generals and Admirals are all dipping in to our pockets with defense contractors. This just fucking..................ok backing off now. But they are making us a weak nation. Just an opportunity for the vultures, easy prey. damn I hate being able to read sometimes. :mad:




http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/08/01/hagel-forecasts-massive-cuts-to-troop-numbers.html?ESRC=dod.nl

[The Stig]

The Army would shrink to 380,000 troops, the Marines Corps to 150,000. The Navy would lose three carriers, and the Air Force would begin mothballing its B-52 bomber fleet under a worst-case budget scenario outlined Wednesday by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

In addition, Tricare fees would go up, housing allowances would be slashed, pay raises would be scaled back, and commissary subsidies would be reduced, Hagel said -- unless Congress and the White House can agree to lift the sequestration deficit-reduction process that is projected to take $500 billion out of defense budgets over the next 10 years.

The re-balance of forces to the Pacific under the national defense strategy introduced by Preident Obama would also come under renewed scrutiny from the budget planners.

"We are committed to sustaining that effort in a significant way," a senior Pentagon official said of the so-called "Pacific pivot" to counter the rise of China. However, "it would be very challenging to implement that as conceived," he said.

Just a taste of the story linked above....

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Guess that would help with my rants ............thanks.

[bacpacker]

This shit is unbelievable. The only way this would be allowed to happen is a deliberate plan to disarm us as a nation.

[Possom]

Meanwhile in other news Pfizer pharmaceutical receives a 10 billion dollar grant to study the affects of Viagra on salt water jellyfish.

Okay that's not really a grant project but it makes the point that our government wastes billions of dollars every year on projects that serve no purpose but can't seem to find our military.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Exactly, they can piss our money away on bull shit projects. ............but they always go after the social security, military and medicare when it comes to cuts and then they raise the taxes. Simple solution, stay out of social security, beef up the military but cutting out the dense contract BS and jelly dognuts, then kick all the illegals off of medicaide. Things will start to stabilize. Oh then we take all the benefits away from congressmen with less than "20", implement term limits. No votes, just do it, no piggy backing on any bills, how it starts is how it ends. Write another one. You can't put gun laws into a farm bill. Oh well........afternoon everyone.

[Gunfixr]

Of course, this comes as Japan unveils the largest warship it has built since WWII.

Now we remember why we also put away weapons and ammo.

[Grumpy Old Man]

I have no comment. To do so would violate the rules of the board. Suffice it to say that we are on a downward spiral!

[bacpacker]

Just heard on the news this morning Hagel is proposing to let same sex partners get the same full benifits from military as married spouses do. All while gutting everything else. Makes no sense at all.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Exactly my point brother.............I'm not going to get started. But you're going to see allot of quality leadership "jumping ship" soon as well. I'm glad I'm retired...................they thought I was bad (unpolitical) then?

[Stg1swret]

Not much more quality leadership left. The military is just a former shadow of itself. I'm an old 'Steamer", politically uncorrect I was, but then again I was usually right. Glad I'm retired too, or they'd probably be drumming me out.

[Possom]

Right there with you and glad to be out. There are still a few old salt guys in but the majority have cut their losses and got the hell out of there. Your right that is is a shadow of the military it used to be. Now they even tell you that you have to accept everyone. You can't be a Christian. You have to be "sensitive". To hell with that. I was trained to kill people not gently comfort them.

[eagle326]

When I got out of the Army in 1973 my wife was furious because I was to be given $6,000.00 plus E-6 if I stayed in and choice of duty station if I desired to re- locate. I was ready to sign but the volunteer Army was coming and from what I heard of it made me sick. I really did want to stay but when I heard that I'd have to be more understanding ; IE soft with my verbal and actual actions I told myself I'd never kiss the ass of a lower ranked soldier. ( Just the way I was raised in the military. )

I've never been politically correct and never will be ; I would die for family ; friends and fellow vets ; but can't do it being politically correct. Too much what iffin' to make a decision.
It's a black and white world when it comes to life and death decisions.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

I retired with a clear conscious, knowing I did the right things at the right time. I "toed the line" on a daily basis you might say. But a raised kids to be well oiled, well trained, decision makers (and other thingees) that could do the right thing when the time came. If they couldn't I made sure they got sent packin. That was one thing for sure, I didn't believe in keeping useless shit in the Navy, be it people or equipment. Till one day I had enough, I figured 22yrs was a good ride so I sent myself packin cause they weren't listening to this old bastard anymore. Nuff said. If I didn't do it, they would have anyway. No retirement ceremony, I just walked. Hell they didn't give me a party when I joined anyway.:cool: