Posted on 03/13/2013 7:39:35 PM PDT by SkyPilot
Military pay is exempt from the automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration, that went into effect earlier this month.
But scores of military programs that impact service members in their everyday lives — including funding tuition assistance and family-assistance programs — are not protected from the across-the-board budget reductions.
And that will certainly have an effect on service members, officials from the Defense Department and the military services told the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military personnel.
The Army and the Air Force both announced this week they would cut tuition-assistance programs for new applicants. Under sequestration, and the ongoing budget uncertainty of a year-long continuing resolution, funding for commissaries, morale-boosting and family services, would also be affected, military leaders testified.
The Pentagon has said it fully expects virtually all of its 780,000-member civilian workforce to be furloughed for at least 22 days, a 20 percent pay cut through the end of the fiscal year.
Since many of the military's family-assistance programs are staffed by civilians, employee furloughs will have an outsized impact...------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary for Health Affairs, told lawmakers DoD will not compromise on the level or quality of care offered by its Defense Health Program. Similarly, funding support for wounded-warrior and rehabilitation programs would be maintained, he added, by diverting resources from other areas.
But over the long haul, those shifts in funding could have negative impacts, Woodson said, such as less funding for maintenance of miltiary medical facilities and delayed modernization programs.
"This will negatively affect the health care environment and potentially drive substantial bills for facility maintenance in the future," Woodson said.
He pointed out that military medical facilities will be particularly hard hit by furloughs, since civilians make up about 40 percent of the DoD medical workforce,
(Excerpt) Read more at federalnewsradio.com ...
1. "Good! No one every game ME tuition assistance! I hope they all suffer like I had suffer! Let's switch the topic away from the military getting screwed to the White House tours....I have more fun mocking that than dealing with the reality of what Sequestration is doing to the military."
2. "This is all Obama - the Congress never really intended to cut the money, and it's not that bad a cut! Sure the GOP said last fall the Sequester would gut the military! But they changed their minds now. Get it?!"
3. "OK - so it's not a 2.4% cut to the military, it is really 13.5% even though they are 18% of the budget and have to absorb 50% of the Sequester cuts - which means a 40% cut in Operations and Maintenance money to the services.....but the military is still bloated anyway! Waste Waste!"
4. "Because Obama ordered social engineering policies for the DoD, then I want to see the loyal rank and file active duty pay and suffer.....becasue even though none of that policy change was their doing, I want to see SUFFERING!"
5. Who cares what happens to the military?! Just don't touch my Social Security or Medicare!
Well, at least when the SHTF the military won’t be on their side.
Could we be looking at the potential for the making of the first Military Coup?
"Nothing's too good for our fighting men, and NOTHING's what they get"
Same thing.
Nothing like pissing off the ones that can hurt you most...
oh not the GI’s........... the wives
We need to dramatically cut the military. Its way too big. Compare our size, capabilities, expendetures to any single country (or even group of countries) and we are just out of control. Our Founding Fathers are spinning in their graves seeing how much money our great and once wealthy nation has literally pissed away on a military that has gone out conquering the world and building an empire. We are not an empire, we are not a homeland, we are not the policemen of the world. Everything our founding fathers and the constitution stood for have been utterly destroyed by the massive military presence we have developed since world war two. And now it is coming to bite us in the behind on every street corner in the country. Once you have a military that powerful it has no choice but to turn inward to take final and complete control so that it will become self perpetuating. And that is where we find ourselves now. With an increasingly liberal military with liberal / socialist leaning leadership that is pushing genuine patriots out. The military will be the death of the constitution unless there are a few brave ones left within its ranks to stand up when the time comes.
I would REALLY like an answer to this question. If under sequestration we are spending MORE than last year (which we ARE), WHY is ANYTHING being cut or ANYONE being furloughed?
I’m serious. Can anyone explain that to me?
I HOPE a liberal can explain that to me. PLEASE!
Member since January, eh? Are you a veteran? I seriously doubt it...
What is suffering under sequestration is Obama’s approval ratings with the American people, hence his recent stupid ass move to try and get closer to, and work with republicans. Everyone sees that this whole sequestration thing is a miscalculation by Obama, and was started by Obama and is something that he has no way out of. Everyone sees that he is trying to make it look as bad as he possibly can and people don’t like it. You can see right through his little childish
actions.
Because dependency programs are GUARANTEED their growth. Instead of a simple FREEZE in growth across the board would adversely affect the Democrat voter base. Obummer knows his standing with military voters is nonexistent. And they're still hiring constituents...
There’s a few interesting comments on the member’s posting history.
but we have to face the truth....our entire govt including the military has overspent and over promised...
we need to have a sleek, young military...made up of people serving for short enlistments, not long enough to earn pensions and health benefits for life...its just the truth...
but be prepared for flak...because most people here are all for cutting everybody else's pay/pension/health except their own...the govt is out of control in its pay and benefits and pensions except for the military...
Training does NOT replace experience!!!
Wow! I guess the same can be said of ALL Federal employees????
Don’t Congressmen and the CIC and VP get those same bennies for just 1 term??
Agreed.
I am not supposed to tell you this but Obama had the Secret-Service kidnap Bohner’s wife and kids and they threatened him with an accident unless he agree to the sequester,
My god man what was he supposed to do after that? He loves his kids and wants them to grow up.
If Bohner goes back on that deal with O those bomb packs on their backs could be triggered,
its all Obama’s fault! Bohner is a victim here.
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