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U.S. Army Says it Faces Huge Equipment, Training Risks with Budget Cuts
Free Beacon ^ | 10/13/14 | Andrea Shalal, Rueters

Posted on 10/13/2014 11:56:17 AM PDT by Nachum

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Army warned on Monday that mandatory budget cuts due to resume in fiscal 2016 would be devastating to a service that is already facing huge risks as it tries to keep forces ready for battle, replace aging equipment and respond to crises around the world.

“We have to have a national security debate … because there is too much going on,” U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno told reporters at the annual Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference.

Odierno said the Army had agreed to further reduce the size of its active force to 450,000 troops from an earlier goal of 490,000 to comply with mandatory budget cuts known as sequestration, but he questioned if even the original target would allow the Army to respond as needed around the globe.

(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: army; budget; cuts
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1 posted on 10/13/2014 11:56:17 AM PDT by Nachum
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To: Jet Jaguar; NorwegianViking; ExTexasRedhead; HollyB; FromLori; EricTheRed_VocalMinority; ...

The list, Ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/


2 posted on 10/13/2014 11:56:38 AM PDT by Nachum (Obamacare: It's. The. Flaw.)
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To: Nachum

No equipment or training? Big deal!

With gay and transexual recruits now allowed, I’m sure that the US military will now be the global force that Obama wants!


3 posted on 10/13/2014 11:59:15 AM PDT by Darteaus94025 (Can't have a Liberal without a Lie)
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To: Darteaus94025

Yeh and remember during gulf war II when the dems made such a stink about not having up armored humvees. Dems are just f-n stupid.


4 posted on 10/13/2014 12:07:05 PM PDT by jimpick
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To: jimpick

This needs to be rammed down their throat. This goes for the dumb a$$ed repubs who went along with this crap.

You hear that Beneshek. You are putting our father brothers and sons at risk. Not to mention the women. You are a idiot.


5 posted on 10/13/2014 12:09:51 PM PDT by jimpick
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To: Nachum

If the enemy islamist CIC completely had his way, there would be no “US” military.


6 posted on 10/13/2014 12:11:08 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: Nachum

Why doesn’t he just make our troops carry white flags and turn in their weapons.

Third world leader, don’t tell me he is an American.


7 posted on 10/13/2014 12:11:25 PM PDT by longfellow (Bill Maher, the 21st hijacker.)
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To: Nachum

I recall back in the mid ‘90’s, another NCO and I had to come up with our own training materials. Meanwhile the COL’s secretary got new office furniture to the tune of $3000.


8 posted on 10/13/2014 12:18:40 PM PDT by rfreedom4u (Texas isn't just a state. It's a state of mind!)
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To: longfellow

Why doesn’t he just make our troops carry white flags and turn in their weapons.

Because we aren’t French....yet.....


9 posted on 10/13/2014 12:19:23 PM PDT by rfreedom4u (Texas isn't just a state. It's a state of mind!)
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To: Nachum

Bill Clinton used The Cold War Peace Dividend to buy votes for the Democrats. Let’s use The War On Poverty Peace Dividend to pay some Soldiers.


10 posted on 10/13/2014 12:23:16 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: rfreedom4u

I remember Air Guard units having to pass around jet engines just to be able to do training and deployments.


11 posted on 10/13/2014 12:30:09 PM PDT by Himyar (Sessions: the only real man in D.C.)
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To: Nachum

King Obama says the heck with national security.

He needs the money to finance his wealth redistribution to democrat voters in the USA and his give-aways to militant muslims in the mideast and Africa.

/s


12 posted on 10/13/2014 12:32:44 PM PDT by Iron Munro (We can make it work with only one square per restroom visit -- Sheryl Crow)
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To: jimpick

I’ve picked up some MOLLE II gear at our local flea market, and can’t believe how cheaply made it is. Velcro replacing buttons, adjustable to accomodate smaller, weaker soldiers (women and newly-arrived Hispanics, I guess); I thought I’d seen it all until I saw a pair of pants with the digital pattern made for a pregnant woman (with the stretchy pouch in front). How could someone keep a straight face when receiving an order for these?

The ALICE system wasn’t perfect, but seemed much more designed for actual combat between real soldiers. A lot of this stuff seems to be make-work to keep people employed, and the latest plans to overhaul the uniforms again seems to confirm that...


13 posted on 10/13/2014 12:33:16 PM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2
A lot of this stuff seems to be make-work to keep people employed,

We can't have government funded jobs dry up, now can we?
(sarcasm)

and the latest plans to overhaul the uniforms again seems to confirm that...

I agree; while the ACUs weren't all that great they weren't bad — though what's interesting about them is the digital camouflage pattern they chose was inferior to [IIRC] two other designs in the competition on technical grounds.

14 posted on 10/13/2014 12:37:53 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: OneWingedShark

In the private sector those making these decisions would have been sacked years ago...


15 posted on 10/13/2014 12:41:28 PM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2
In the private sector those making these decisions would have been sacked years ago...

Probably.
But crap like this can be really discouraging for someone who wants to do quality work; imagine how it must feel to try your best only to continually find that your best is snubbed in favor of something inferior.

16 posted on 10/13/2014 12:47:26 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: OneWingedShark

I suspect it is very hard for any conscientious person to work in government because of this. Friends who worked for the postal service left due to the atmosphere where nobody gave much of a damn about anything; they were simply too hard-working to stomach it, and went to jobs in the private sector.


17 posted on 10/13/2014 12:55:46 PM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: Nachum

The Army is leaving billions of dollars worth of equipment and supplies in Afghanistan alone. Go salvage that stuff.


18 posted on 10/13/2014 1:04:20 PM PDT by CodeToad (Islam should be outlawed and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: kearnyirish2
I thought I’d seen it all until I saw a pair of pants with the digital pattern made for a pregnant woman (with the stretchy pouch in front). How could someone keep a straight face when receiving an order for these?

They just pull orders for clothing by stock number. Unless you are the supply SGT for a unit, people processing the order just input the NSN and it goes forward. Some warehouses are automated to some degree and have robots pulling stock.

19 posted on 10/13/2014 1:05:14 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (Guns are like parachutes. If you need one and don't have one, you'll probably never need one again.)
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To: Nachum

It’s a good thing we left all those billions of dollars of army equipment with the Iraqi Army. They’ll be able to hold the front line easily while we scrape up the cash to buy more and maybe get it into service in a couple of years.


20 posted on 10/13/2014 1:07:04 PM PDT by Gritty (Obama wants to wage war by measuring it out in teaspoons - Ralph Peters)
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