Well, it’s coming… I don’t have any doubt at this point…
From Wired, Danger Room…
A memo released late Thursday by Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter instructed the military to begin “reductions in flying hours, steaming days, vehicle miles, and other operations/training/support activities that address force readiness.” The services are supposed to identify cuts to “large programs” and “significant” changes to “joint programs” that they buy or operate together. (While it’s not identified in Carter’s memo, perhaps the most prominent of these is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter family of jets.) Upcoming “ship maintenance availabilities and aviation and ground depotlevel maintenance activities” are to be cancelled; “contracts and studies” to are to be “review[ed] for cost savings”; and facilities maintenance upgrades are to be paused.
According to Carter’s memo, defense programs “closely associated with the new defense strategy” — that is, the “rebalance” to Asia and the Pacific region — are to be spared, but only “to the extent feasible.” Neither the Pentagon nor the services have specified which programs, planes, ships or R&D are “closely associated” with the new strategy. But it likely means drones, special operations forces, new jammers, next-gen sensors, and cyber weapons. It also probably means the retrofit of the USS Ponce, which the Navy is turning into an “Afloat Staging Base” to ferry commandos, Osprey tilt-rotors and other gear.
From Wired, Danger Room…
A memo released late Thursday by Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter instructed the military to begin “reductions in flying hours, steaming days, vehicle miles, and other operations/training/support activities that address force readiness.” The services are supposed to identify cuts to “large programs” and “significant” changes to “joint programs” that they buy or operate together. (While it’s not identified in Carter’s memo, perhaps the most prominent of these is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter family of jets.) Upcoming “ship maintenance availabilities and aviation and ground depotlevel maintenance activities” are to be cancelled; “contracts and studies” to are to be “review[ed] for cost savings”; and facilities maintenance upgrades are to be paused.
According to Carter’s memo, defense programs “closely associated with the new defense strategy” — that is, the “rebalance” to Asia and the Pacific region — are to be spared, but only “to the extent feasible.” Neither the Pentagon nor the services have specified which programs, planes, ships or R&D are “closely associated” with the new strategy. But it likely means drones, special operations forces, new jammers, next-gen sensors, and cyber weapons. It also probably means the retrofit of the USS Ponce, which the Navy is turning into an “Afloat Staging Base” to ferry commandos, Osprey tilt-rotors and other gear.
The entire article is HERE.
I’m at the point that we just need to shut down the government, even if it does cost me my job… I don’t see any other option to get our government under control.
The problem that we face because of what we’ve done to ourselves is that even if we cut every USGOV employee, program and contractor, entitlements still cost more than we take in. It’s not a secret and both parties “party on” pretending that it doesn’t exist.
Pension programs are a Ponzie scheme because USGOV didn’t invest ANYTHING. They just rely on the well-worn “full faith and credit of USGOV” to pay for it. In any rational pension plan/Soc Sec, etc., there are investments and annuities are structured on them. Not so with Congress, which spends all of the money that it takes in and more — much more.
The nation screwed itself.
I remembered the Clinton years after the first Gulf war when the military drew down, the Army cut about 50% of its strength and a lot of experience got RIFed. It bit us in the ass in Bosnia. The Navy and airforces also cut way back. The democraps preached the “Peace dividend”. Funny how history repeats itself.
I am sure cutting all those flying hours will not put a crimp in Air force One’s flight time.
This all fits in with Obama’s anti-American doctrine.
At the rate he is going there will a painful gubment shut down. I am afraid my child will be one the ones having to fix it or pay for it too.
NFO — I’m with you, even though a forced furlough would be literally devastating to me personally (still recovering from last year’s 8 month layoff).
Despite the fact that even shutting down everything they legally can wouldn;t solve the problem, it would bring teh problem into sharp focus — “Look folks, we’re down to debt payments and entitlements, and we are still running in the red! Cut entitlements or watch the dollar collapse into Weimar Pesos.”
What Duke said…isn’t this just a wonderful new year, so far.
We have a bunch of USN toys here for service and can’t get anyone here for inspection.
I’ll guess I tell the folks to put them in storage for a while.
Gerry
Why is it a surprise? The Marine Infantry has been training without ammunition for the 4 years mine has been a Marine. They’re just increasing the cuts… now pilots have to train without flying.
Why not just turn our mil command over the China, Russia and the Taliban? But leave AF1 alone. He has to get to the vacation locations.
Mrs. Crucis and I have been consolidating…paying off debts, building savings in local banks and CUs. If the current trends continue, sequestration will not be the problem. The existence of the nation will.
Can’t disagree with anything you or the other commenters have said. On active duty through the mid-70s, I watched senior AF personnel get RIF’d only months from retirement. Our ship sat tied up to a pier for six months at the same time, supposedly because of the oil embargo.
We all know what happened after that.
LL- You’re correct!
MrG- Yep, ain’t it though…
Duke/Stephen- Of course not!!!
Opus- Exactly!!!
ADM- Yep, had that conversation with my daughter last night, she is NOT happy…
Geod- Understood!
Gerry- Possibly LONG term…
Anon- Which means we’re gonna start killing people… We ‘know’ that…
CP- I believe if the could, he would!!!
Crucis- Concur!
Rev- Yeah, wasn’t it ‘fun’ under Carter???
Everyones hours will be cut from flying expect Moochelle and BO.
Sequestration is coming…We have several friends who are contracters and nervouse about it.
But yet somehow we can get 500 million to pay for this Gun Control package thingy he proposed yesterday
They can also ground all the rest of those Congressional Jets that fly Pols around, and Marine One should be sent to Afghanistan.
Like you and many of your readers I was serving when Carter was president. I remember how bad it was and I fear a return to those bad old days. God bless our men and women currently serving. There are some rough seas ahead.
Meanwhile thew AFS marches on (Army of Free Shit).
JUGM- It’s gotten even uglier… Post am tomorrow…
Les- You mean you’d ‘deprive’ all those congresscritters of their fancy rides? How DARE you… 😀
Six- Yep, truly scary… and NOT safe!!! I just thank God we didn’t kill more folks…
Robert- Yep!
Just looked in my log book from the sad ol’ days when “Jimmy” was CinC. Some months had zero flight hours, others had less than 10. It was very boring and morale was lower than…
MikeyB
but we’re still giving fighter jets to Egypt/Muslim Brotherhood!
Mikey- I know what you mean… HAD to get 4 hours, some months we didn’t until the 29th or 30th….
Ed- Yep!
Truly when someone doesn’t know after that its up to other viewers that they will help, so here it takes place.
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