USCG has no fat to cut

I was just going to assume the President "didn't know" about the Coast Guard's budget..... that response seems to be working pretty nicely. :rolleyes:
 
hornetguy said:
Erm, not that we need to have a d*ck measuring contest on SAF regarding old sh*t, but I'm not sure a plane can last longer than a ship. The environment can be rough too (even if not salt water), pressurization cycles tax the structure, and once that wing spar reaches its life - no amount of upgrades elsewhere can salvage the plane. I'm no mech engineer or anywhere near that educated on the topic though. Regardless - just saying the age argument is spurious IMO.
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The age isn't spurious when you have functional/safety problems. For instance, some of the 110' Patrol Boats (30 years old) operating in D7 (Florida/Caribbean Area) are so broken down/beat up that they routinely leak and take on water that has to be pumped overboard. The XO of one of the cutters I was on mentioned that the fleet in the 90's was "nothing but a bunch of bastardized ww2 navy boats".

How's flight training going btw? You almost finished up?
 
LineInTheSand said:
I was just going to assume the President "didn't know" about the Coast Guard's budget..... that response seems to be working pretty nicely. :rolleyes:
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Good point. What didn't he know? And when didn't he know it? :rolleyes:
 
kinnem said:
Good point. What didn't he know? And when didn't he know it? :rolleyes:
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Answer to first question: Anything negative.

Answer to second question: Until right before Jay Carny is asked about it after 100 newspapers with millions in readership report on it for weeks.
 
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SamAca10 said:
The age isn't spurious when you have functional/safety problems. For instance, some of the 110' Patrol Boats (30 years old) operating in D7 (Florida/Caribbean Area) are so broken down/beat up that they routinely leak and take on water that has to be pumped overboard. The XO of one of the cutters I was on mentioned that the fleet in the 90's was "nothing but a bunch of bastardized ww2 navy boats".

How's flight training going btw? You almost finished up?
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Some of our aircraft, such as T-38s, have (critical) parts that are "fly to fail." AKA, don't replace unless it stops working....and some of those things are pretty important. Bottom line, we all have old sh*t. ;)

My training start is in January. Working a transition job in the meantime.
 
hornetguy said:
Some of our aircraft, such as T-38s, have (critical) parts that are "fly to fail." AKA, don't replace unless it stops working....and some of those things are pretty important. Bottom line, we all have old sh*t. ;)

My training start is in January. Working a transition job in the meantime.
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Whoa whoa whoa.... now we're using training aircraft as the "we have old things?" I'll see your T-38 and raise you an EAGLE (because T-boats are too new).
 
LineInTheSand said:
Whoa whoa whoa.... now we're using training aircraft as the "we have old things?" I'll see your T-38 and raise you an EAGLE (because T-boats are too new).
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It's fun to laugh about our old things, but Fox has reported that the Russians have conducted a massive nuclear force exercise. I am guessing they used some of their new stuff.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/10/30/putin-oversees-massive-exercise-russian-nuclear-forces/

Putin is a dangerous man, and it is clear that the Russians are willing and able to project force. Where and how are we going to fight the next war? Are we planning as if will be community policing in a far away place?
 
Well it's nuclear, I won't be too worried about the conditions of 210's or T-38s. :eek:
 
thepalmers4 said:
It's fun to laugh about our old things, but Fox has reported that the Russians have conducted a massive nuclear force exercise. I am guessing they used some of their new stuff.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/10/30/putin-oversees-massive-exercise-russian-nuclear-forces/

Putin is a dangerous man, and it is clear that the Russians are willing and able to project force. Where and how are we going to fight the next war? Are we planning as if will be community policing in a far away place?
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Minuteman is still on alert. The boomers are still on patrol. We have B-52 and B-2 aircraft. All of these forces have continued to operate during the recent wars in Southwest Asia. Some of that technology is old (but there have been many upgrades over the last 50 years). It's still a very credible deterrent. I know there has been some negative press lately with respect to the nuclear force, but I assure you that our weapons are fully capable of reaching a target should the need arise. It probably never will.

Deterrence continues as it has since the Cold War began (albeit, with a lot fewer bombs). Russia wants to have a credible deterrent as well, and I don't think a few tests of his strategic rocket forces signal an intent from Mr. Putin to launch a first strike. More likely, it's a way for Putin to say "hello everyone, we're still here."

We test our own ICBMs all the time (without the warheads). It's the only way to see that the system works and that the weapon system is functional. The missiles are shot from Vandenberg AFB in California to the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
 
PHEW! I was affraid we might actually have to talk about the decaying USCG fleet.... but luckily we can talk about how modernization and improvements are being made elsewhere.

On a side note, I visted the new Coast Guard HQ at St. Elizabeths Tuesday and it is AMAZING. We spent years making fun of it.... but I can tell you, that set up is something else. Wow. I think it's a DHS budget item, but I'm not entirely sure. The CGHQ building complex is all new. I think the plan is to renovate the remaining buildings for other DHS agencies. They have been abandoned since 1992. The old main admin building ois the main building at the beginning of "A Few Good Men".


And the rest of St. Elizabeths? CREEPY!
 
LineInTheSand said:
PHEW! I was affraid we might actually have to talk about the decaying USCG fleet.... but luckily we can talk about how modernization and improvements are being made elsewhere.

On a side note, I visted the new Coast Guard HQ at St. Elizabeths Tuesday and it is AMAZING. We spent years making fun of it.... but I can tell you, that set up is something else. Wow. I think it's a DHS budget item, but I'm not entirely sure. The CGHQ building complex is all new. I think the plan is to renovate the remaining buildings for other DHS agencies. They have been abandoned since 1992. The old main admin building ois the main building at the beginning of "A Few Good Men".


And the rest of St. Elizabeths? CREEPY!
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Maybe if the CG could justify having a few nukes, they could get some bucks? Some sort of 'last line of defense - afloat' rationale might make the sale? :smile:
 
kinnem said:
Maybe if the CG could justify having a few nukes, they could get some bucks? Some sort of 'last line of defense - afloat' rationale might make the sale? :smile:
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What I learned from World War Z is, in the event of zombie invasion, go afloat.
 
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