Pay For The Wall

"However, of the $1.2 billion in projects related to education, approximately $800 million worth are far in the future, and those funds could readily be used for wall construction and replaced later."

I'm surprised the article mentioned the fact that 800 million of the 1.2 billion which "may come at expense of schools for military kids" is marked far in the future and could be replaced later. It sure made for a dramatic headline though.
 
Mod note:
I remind everyone of SAF policy:
" The purpose of this site is not to discuss politics. Political discussions should be limited in context and scope, and our nation's elected officials respected at all times."

Please don't jeopardize your member privileges over this thread.
 
While I appreciate the admonishment about politics, this issue directly affects our military and it's readiness. I will save my opinions on the effectiveness of said "barrier" and the effect of end-runs on the constitution for another site, I think that sharing FACTS is important to a well informed populace.
 
cb7893 said:
Nor can Republicans Rob Portman or Freedom Caucus Hero Jim Jordan.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/army-says-no-to-more-tanks-but-congress-insists

If you get a chance, look for the video of Rep. Jordan lecturing Gen. Ray Odierno about the needs of the military.
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I don’t disagree. My point is that when I read what is being cut to pay for the wall my first question is “Why cut that? Why not something else?” There is plenty of garbage in government spending that can be cut.
A huge truck is barreling toward the military in the form of medical cuts but very few realize it is coming. Most of the smaller military installations that still have hospitals, to include West Point, will probably see them reduced to clinics in the near future.
 
UHBlackhawk said:
I don’t disagree. My point is that when I read what is being cut to pay for the wall my first question is “Why cut that? Why not something else?” There is plenty of garbage in government spending that can be cut.
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I didn’t think you did. If I gave the impression of indulging in “wellwhataboutism” that was not my intention.

I have been through several of these political cycles in which one party advocates for almost the same policy for which they previously exactly criticized the other party. So associating a particular hypocrisy with one party causes my auto catalytic response.

Usually, the loudest voices are the most hypocritical.
 
Nemo567 said:
https://www.latimes.com/politics/la...border-national-emergency-20190321-story.html

The commandant of the Marines has warned the Pentagon that deployments to the southwest border and funding transfers under the president's emergency declaration, among other unexpected demands, have posed “unacceptable risk to Marine Corps combat readiness and solvency.”
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I read the LA Times article with a raised eyebrow three weeks ago based on info I had from a reliable source. I knew that company and battalion sized exercises was happening and also, platoons were sent to the SoCal border which yielded valuable training for personnel who needed an opportunity to get away from the flagpole. The article below has General Neller stating the LA Times story was inaccurate and that the border ops had indeed increased readiness.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/ne..._term=Editorial - Military - Early Bird Brief
 
Let me be a first hand source. The border mission was a waste of time that decreased our ability to conduct more valuable training elsewhere.

For MP and engineer units maybe there was some limited value but I'm skeptical.
 
Hurricane12 said:
Let me be a first hand source. The border mission was a waste of time that decreased our ability to conduct more valuable training elsewhere.

For MP and engineer units maybe there was some limited value but I'm skeptical.
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Your squadron was there?

I'm just going by what your commandant said.
 
Devil Doc said:
Your squadron was there?

I'm just going by what your commandant said.
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Multiple squadrons supported because it dragged on so long, including mine (we were the second HMLA to support, my friends in the other squadron have a similar opinion to mine). At least one HMH (53s) was fragged to support as well.
I suspect the commandant was advised to backtrack on his previous comments.
 
I mean the commandant had his staff leak memos which showed the border deployments are hurting readiness and affecting disaster recovery. So I think he made his opposition pretty clear.
 
@Hurricane12 and @Nemo567 so General Neller was told to tell a different story? This from the article I linked above. "The Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert B. Neller told lawmakers Tuesday that the deployment of Marines to the U.S.-Mexico border has actually improved the readiness of some units."

I wonder who directed that, Spencer, Shanahan, Trump himself?
 
The SECNAV, CNO, and CMC were on Capitol Hill the other day to testify on the DON’s FY2020 budget to the SASC. I highly recommend watching their testimony...CMC testified that for some units, readiness increased (citing some squadrons had more “fly” time and MPs), but for some units who were doing “out of mission” tasking, it decreased their readiness. CMC also said no exercises were cancelled, but some units were removed from scheduled exercises to support the border mission. Again, I highly recommend watching the video to see exactly what the CMC said vice an article. Now those who “have been there, done that” might have their own thoughts and perspective on how readiness was affected.
 
I read (I think) the same thing that @Devil Doc read.

Neller said it was a good thing, and that the biggest thing affecting the USMC budget is the aftermath and cleanup following Hurricane Florence.
He even said that it (the move of Marines to the border) coalesced multiple planned exercises into one combined exercise, which was good for some units.

I guess it's all relative. It was an overall win for the Corps, and only cost $1.25 million (but saved money elsewhere).
 
THParent said:
I read (I think) the same thing that @Devil Doc read.

Neller said it was a good thing, and that the biggest thing affecting the USMC budget is the aftermath and cleanup following Hurricane Florence.
He even said that it (the move of Marines to the border) coalesced multiple planned exercises into one combined exercise, which was good for some units.

I guess it's all relative. It was an overall win for the Corps, and only cost $1.25 million (but saved money elsewhere).
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That, and Sec. Shanahan has stated he expects DHS to request more help soon. Also, the media is starting to report there may actually be a crisis at the border. Regardless of ideology, the assets needed include security, transportation, logistics, medical, legal, and lots of other stuff.
 
Devil Doc said:
That, and Sec. Shanahan has stated he expects DHS to request more help soon. Also, the media is starting to report there may actually be a crisis at the border. Regardless of ideology, the assets needed include security, transportation, logistics, medical, legal, and lots of other stuff.
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The first hand reports I am hearing from my cousins say that the media hasn't even begun to touch on how dire the situation is down there. My husband was deployed to coordinate USCG response teams and medical almost two weeks ago.

The massive influx of illegal aliens has surpassed the abilities of our personnel, courts, social services and infrastructure to handle them all. What is even more disturbing is that someone is financing propaganda telling these people to go to the United States with directions on what to bring, who to travel with and what to say. I'm told there are radio commercials and hand outs encouraging people to go north. The numbers of unaccompanied minors and families are going to sky rocket from current numbers. My cousin is telling us that they are having issues with families having their children "assigned" to other adults as a "family unit" so that they will be released once they cross the border and are processed in.

My cousins are railing that the cartels are using the human diversions to bring in drugs. They have been unable to pursue drug runners and others because they are tied up with large numbers of people with children claiming asylum. CBP are angry. They have been dealing with this on their own for quite awhile.
 
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