CR - $2 billion cut from the Department of Defense

2 billion out of 513 billion is not and ouch. That is less than 0.5% percent cut.

Any AD member could tell you they can make that up just on base budgets. There are over 700 military installations. In essence it is a pitiance for each base.It would mean that instead of upgrading the base soccer/baseball field this yr, it would stay the way it is. It would mean instead of having janitorial service 5 days a week it would be cut to 3. It would mean instead instead of renovating the houses in this yrs budget it would be delayed. It may mean shutting down dining halls that are open 24 hrs to 21 hours, or cutting waste from food that is not popular.

I could easily find 2 B without ever touching ROTC.

People forget the military is huge, huge, huge. ROTC may be hit, but my guess would be that it is more like why AFROTC and AFA took the hit and less like the budget.

MANPOWER Strategic Goal. They have too many in the system, and no need for more coming in at the historical rate from previous yrs.
 
I agree 2012 IMPO is going to be painful. I wouldn't be surprised if they change the pay scale for AD members to save money. Right now it is 0.5 or 1.0% above COLA (can't remember and too lazy to look it up). With the fact that we are not seeing AD members dive due to the economy, they may decide to take that number to what they do federally, which is -0.5% below the COLA for pay raises. You could also see bonuses drop for a certain career fields...in other words, they may turn and say no need for Nav bonuses.

Do the math, millions of military members and that would save billions in a yr.

You may also find that they will reduce scholarships, not so much in the amount given, but in the type. In other words for the AF, you may see very few Type 1's, fewer 2's, but more 7's. This would save them millions a yr. Again mathematical issue. 5000 cadets per yr group, but only 5% are Type 1. Lower that number to 2.5%, and you saved a million,, give fewer type 2's, and another few million. Now give the bulk to 7, you just kicked the can to 2013. Because, most will now convert to 2, and that will save millions.

If you look at why there was no IS for AFROTC this yr from a business approach, that is what they did. They have an alloted number for each yr. They kicked the can for 2013/14 by offering more type 7's, and now there was no money left for IS. Additionally, by reducing EA, those passed over are in jeopardy for keeping their scholarship. That allowed them to balance the books, PLUS save money for the AF. It also is a manpower issue, but that is really an intense conversation, and you need to understand that it goes back to people not diving in the AD world.

I am sure I made your cranium spin. Sorry, if I did, I was just trying to inform.
 
Pima said:
2 billion out of 513 billion is not and ouch. That is less than 0.5% percent cut.
Precisely... that is a rounding error. I would consider that a victory for those who support the DOD.
 
Absolutely it was a victory, but Patent is correct, the real issue will be 2011-2012 budget, and the 2012-13 budget.

The DoD is going to take hits. They have to take hits, because you can't cut social programs and not the DoD, especially when we do not have Iraq/Afghanistan war support.

The dems actually almost won the battle of shutting down the government. Had the military not been tied to it, and soldiers not getting paid while in combat they would have won IMPO and the govt would have shut down. The Dems were riding high saying that the Repubs would hurt women. They were seen as evil.

I am sure they are working out how to guarantee the military won't be an issue while saving social issues. I am also positive the repubs are investigating the same issues.

To me that means both sides are going to hit the DOD hard, just from different perspectives. Repubs will want to keep hardware and AD. Dems will want cuts there. How do you come to a compromise? Cut support, and pipelines.

Thus, it means RIFs, SERBs, fewer scholarships, fewer base upgrades, fewer good deal TDYs, lower pay raises, lower bennies.


That leaves hardware intact for the future. Hardware like the 22 or 35 being built by Boeing means jobs for their constituents. Unemployment at the level it is at and expected to stay makes cutting pay raises a non-existent issue since a pay check is a paycheck and we can't afford thousands to leave the military with no job.

This is not anything more than a fiscal perspective of how to guarantee the lowest amount of damage to the economy while reducing the fed. budget. It is a dollar and cents issue.
 
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