Disaster: Today's Warrior Purge in the U.S. military

[Weegle777 78]

I couldn't read all that b.s. i thought weegs had started another alpha dog threads.

Actually it was.

Was it?

[Strychnine 1,802]

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

There is no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources and transport capacity to bear than the military. Likewise, there is also no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources, personnel, and transport capacity to bear in combating and containing biological warfare than the military. The CDC might have superior expertise with contagions than the military, but that expertise is useful only in the context of advising and directing efforts ultimately executed by someone else. They lack the personnel to tackle and contain a contagion on a multi-national scale. Had it ended up being necessary, the CDC lacks the personnel and hardware to effect and enforce any large-scale quarantine. Ebola getting loose from West Africa and coming here as more than a handful of isolated cases, in this era of multiple travel methods, certainly represents a threat to the United States.

[AUUSN 823]

And what was wrong with sending 3000 troops to help Liberia fight Ebola? This author is whacko.

Not the military's fight...more along the lines of USAID and not Airborne Troops.

Damn straight! How dare Bush send us in support of tsunami relief! :-\

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

I am realistic. I'm sorry you have no idea what you're talking about.

http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/1014_ebola/

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

And what was wrong with sending 3000 troops to help Liberia fight Ebola? This author is whacko.

Not the military's fight...more along the lines of USAID and not Airborne Troops.

Damn straight! How dare Bush send us in support of tsunami relief! :-\

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

I am realistic. I'm sorry you have no idea what you're talking about.

http://www.defense.g...014/1014_ebola/

Sorry buddy but you are the person without the clue? What is your experience within our CBRN forces? What is your experience with WMD? You are good at googling graphics on the internet but you have no clue what our capabilities really are....and the same can be said for those arguing about the military having the resources etc.....What I was talking about was being trained and you all want to take it in another whole direction and put out meaningless graphics and spout stats but you all really don't have the facts....I have over 10 years in that arena and was a plank owner (if you know what that means) in the stand up of our JTF that does WMD elimination. I have experience in that planning and you all seem to think that the military is the magic answer but it isn't can they do the job given training? Sure...but that is besides the point...we sent AIRBORNE troops and not our CBRNE troops...and we are not trained to handle infectious diseases. Also, the real question is why did we send our troops anyway? That is the real question? We sent them to handle this crisis in Africa? Why? to prevent spreading to the US? we can screen folks coming in. And for Domestic events....The military ISN"T the first responder...DoD has to be invited in unless it is determined to be a National Crisis and then they MAY be given the lead. You guys may want to look up US law and how it pertains to the Military and its use within the Borders....Of Course with this Administration who knows what laws they will break if something happens...THey have been quite adept at doing that over the past few years....

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

There is no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources and transport capacity to bear than the military. Likewise, there is also no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources, personnel, and transport capacity to bear in combating and containing biological warfare than the military. The CDC might have superior expertise with contagions than the military, but that expertise is useful only in the context of advising and directing efforts ultimately executed by someone else. They lack the personnel to tackle and contain a contagion on a multi-national scale. Had it ended up being necessary, the CDC lacks the personnel and hardware to effect and enforce any large-scale quarantine. Ebola getting loose from West Africa and coming here as more than a handful of isolated cases, in this era of multiple travel methods, certainly represents a threat to the United States.

I guess the points I made sailed right over your head. No one is arguing that the Military has manpower, logistics etc...but are NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE EBOLA Outbreaks. We were lucky that none of our troops contracted Ebola. If they had. How would you have responded to that?

[Strychnine 1,802]

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

There is no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources and transport capacity to bear than the military. Likewise, there is also no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources, personnel, and transport capacity to bear in combating and containing biological warfare than the military. The CDC might have superior expertise with contagions than the military, but that expertise is useful only in the context of advising and directing efforts ultimately executed by someone else. They lack the personnel to tackle and contain a contagion on a multi-national scale. Had it ended up being necessary, the CDC lacks the personnel and hardware to effect and enforce any large-scale quarantine. Ebola getting loose from West Africa and coming here as more than a handful of isolated cases, in this era of multiple travel methods, certainly represents a threat to the United States.

I guess the points I made sailed right over your head. No one is arguing that the Military has manpower, logistics etc...but are NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE EBOLA Outbreaks. We were lucky that none of our troops contracted Ebola. If they had. How would you have responded to that?

If that is that case, then what outbreaks are they trained to handle?

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

There is no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources and transport capacity to bear than the military. Likewise, there is also no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources, personnel, and transport capacity to bear in combating and containing biological warfare than the military. The CDC might have superior expertise with contagions than the military, but that expertise is useful only in the context of advising and directing efforts ultimately executed by someone else. They lack the personnel to tackle and contain a contagion on a multi-national scale. Had it ended up being necessary, the CDC lacks the personnel and hardware to effect and enforce any large-scale quarantine. Ebola getting loose from West Africa and coming here as more than a handful of isolated cases, in this era of multiple travel methods, certainly represents a threat to the United States.

I guess the points I made sailed right over your head. No one is arguing that the Military has manpower, logistics etc...but are NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE EBOLA Outbreaks. We were lucky that none of our troops contracted Ebola. If they had. How would you have responded to that?

If that is that case, then what outbreaks are they trained to handle?

We aren't trained to handle outbreaks as a whole. We do what we can when nature does its destruction. We are trained to protect ourselves when Chemical Attacks happen but we are not trained to handle outbreaks...we can offer help but this perception that our Military can handle all of this and are trained is a bad one. We are trained to destroy and break things, we are trained to take down our enemies when we are allowed too...

[Strychnine 1,802]

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

There is no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources and transport capacity to bear than the military. Likewise, there is also no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources, personnel, and transport capacity to bear in combating and containing biological warfare than the military. The CDC might have superior expertise with contagions than the military, but that expertise is useful only in the context of advising and directing efforts ultimately executed by someone else. They lack the personnel to tackle and contain a contagion on a multi-national scale. Had it ended up being necessary, the CDC lacks the personnel and hardware to effect and enforce any large-scale quarantine. Ebola getting loose from West Africa and coming here as more than a handful of isolated cases, in this era of multiple travel methods, certainly represents a threat to the United States.

I guess the points I made sailed right over your head. No one is arguing that the Military has manpower, logistics etc...but are NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE EBOLA Outbreaks. We were lucky that none of our troops contracted Ebola. If they had. How would you have responded to that?

If that is that case, then what outbreaks are they trained to handle?

You'll get further with the people that discuss issues in this forum without saying "I guess the points I made sailed right over your head" while not responding to what they said. I did not question your intelligence directly or indirectly, and the thought of doing so had not occurred to me.

My assertion was basically that the US military is the best thing that we could have thrown at the issue of containing Ebola in west Africa, and I also think the fact that Ebola disappeared from widespread American discussion shortly thereafter further affirms it. If you can tell me what we should have done as an alternative, and how it would have worked better, I will gladly listen. In the meantime, I stand by my assertion that the US military is the best resource to deploy in such situations. They do not have to be trained to handle specific Ebola outbreaks. They are still the most effective means the US can deploy to combat and contain a biological outbreak.

[Strychnine 1,802]

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

There is no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources and transport capacity to bear than the military. Likewise, there is also no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources, personnel, and transport capacity to bear in combating and containing biological warfare than the military. The CDC might have superior expertise with contagions than the military, but that expertise is useful only in the context of advising and directing efforts ultimately executed by someone else. They lack the personnel to tackle and contain a contagion on a multi-national scale. Had it ended up being necessary, the CDC lacks the personnel and hardware to effect and enforce any large-scale quarantine. Ebola getting loose from West Africa and coming here as more than a handful of isolated cases, in this era of multiple travel methods, certainly represents a threat to the United States.

I guess the points I made sailed right over your head. No one is arguing that the Military has manpower, logistics etc...but are NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE EBOLA Outbreaks. We were lucky that none of our troops contracted Ebola. If they had. How would you have responded to that?

If that is that case, then what outbreaks are they trained to handle?

We aren't trained to handle outbreaks as a whole. We do what we can when nature does its destruction. We are trained to protect ourselves when Chemical Attacks happen but we are not trained to handle outbreaks...we can offer help but this perception that our Military can handle all of this and are trained is a bad one. We are trained to destroy and break things, we are trained to take down our enemies when we are allowed too...

That is a better response that your previous one. Thank you. I never said the military was trained to handle outbreaks as a whole, and I never suggested that the military could handle any outbreak. What I said was that the military is always in a better position to mobilize resources, personnel, and expertise than any civilian agency. Furthermore, if it comes to a quarantine situation in order to contain an outbreak, the military is far more capable of effecting that than any civilian agency. I was not suggesting that the military is infallible at handling contagions. What I am saying is basically that from the President's desk, the military is the most effective option in that case.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

There is no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources and transport capacity to bear than the military. Likewise, there is also no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources, personnel, and transport capacity to bear in combating and containing biological warfare than the military. The CDC might have superior expertise with contagions than the military, but that expertise is useful only in the context of advising and directing efforts ultimately executed by someone else. They lack the personnel to tackle and contain a contagion on a multi-national scale. Had it ended up being necessary, the CDC lacks the personnel and hardware to effect and enforce any large-scale quarantine. Ebola getting loose from West Africa and coming here as more than a handful of isolated cases, in this era of multiple travel methods, certainly represents a threat to the United States.

I guess the points I made sailed right over your head. No one is arguing that the Military has manpower, logistics etc...but are NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE EBOLA Outbreaks. We were lucky that none of our troops contracted Ebola. If they had. How would you have responded to that?

If that is that case, then what outbreaks are they trained to handle?

You'll get further with the people that discuss issues in this forum without saying "I guess the points I made sailed right over your head" while not responding to what they said. I did not question your intelligence directly or indirectly, and the thought of doing so had not occurred to me. I get your point but again, those folks never address the points made but try to distract from it with one liners and cute internet graphics. They never addressed military training and tried to equate humanitarian relief with an ebola outbreak containment...again Apples and Oranges as stated earlier....

My assertion was basically that the US military is the best thing that we could have thrown at the issue of containing Ebola in west Africa, and I also think the fact that Ebola disappeared from widespread American discussion shortly thereafter further affirms it. If you can tell me what we should have done as an alternative, and how it would have worked better, I will gladly listen. In the meantime, I stand by my assertion that the US military is the best resource to deploy in such situations. They do not have to be trained to handle specific Ebola outbreaks. They are still the most effective means the US can deploy to combat and contain a biological outbreak. Again, I wasn't arguing that fact but was arguing about the training. Now the Military might be an answer but what if our troops came down with Ebola? Why is it always us who has to go in? Why can't our politicians get off of their butts and work with other nations to solve these problems vice sending us in. They were contemplating on sending my Oldest over there when this came out because they were scrambling, he is a Combat Medic...and before anyone says "well that is his Job"...suck that statement back in...our Corpsmen and Medics don't have that training period...they are trained to stop the bleeding, triage and get the patient to a higher medical facility..

[Strychnine 1,802]

You'll get further with the people that discuss issues in this forum without saying "I guess the points I made sailed right over your head" while not responding to what they said. I did not question your intelligence directly or indirectly, and the thought of doing so had not occurred to me. I get your point but again, those folks never address the points made but try to distract from it with one liners and cute internet graphics. They never addressed military training and tried to equate humanitarian relief with an ebola outbreak containment...again Apples and Oranges as stated earlier....

My assertion was basically that the US military is the best thing that we could have thrown at the issue of containing Ebola in west Africa, and I also think the fact that Ebola disappeared from widespread American discussion shortly thereafter further affirms it. If you can tell me what we should have done as an alternative, and how it would have worked better, I will gladly listen. In the meantime, I stand by my assertion that the US military is the best resource to deploy in such situations. They do not have to be trained to handle specific Ebola outbreaks. They are still the most effective means the US can deploy to combat and contain a biological outbreak. Again, I wasn't arguing that fact but was arguing about the training. Now the Military might be an answer but what if our troops came down with Ebola? Why is it always us who has to go in? Why can't our politicians get off of their butts and work with other nations to solve these problems vice sending us in. They were contemplating on sending my Oldest over there when this came out because they were scrambling, he is a Combat Medic...and before anyone says "well that is his Job"...suck that statement back in...our Corpsmen and Medics don't have that training period...they are trained to stop the bleeding, triage and get the patient to a higher medical facility..

Again, thank you for a good response. What is our alternative when faced with a clear biological threat to the United States? Do we have an asset more capable than the military that I am unaware of? That is why they" have to go in, and it is a volunteer force after all. It's not like Obama woke up one morning and decided to send a minuscule fraction of our one million active duty personnel into harm's way to fight Ebola. It is obvious that Obama had guidance and recommendations, and that he likely followed that guidance. I'm not trying to disparage our military service members, I'm saying that the President sent what he thought would be our most effective fighting force to accomplish goal, and I think he was right. I do indeed have that much faith in our military.

It is indeed true that the military might not be optimally trained for biological contagion, but what are our civilian alternatives? In the event of an unforeseen outbreak, what are our civilian options? Let's say that outbreak is concentrated on New York, is there a civilian agency that can effect a quarantine over New York? If people can hop on a plane or boat from wherever and appear in the United States mere hours or days later, does that not warrant the deployment of the best we have to offer?

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

There is no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources and transport capacity to bear than the military. Likewise, there is also no civilian agency (domestic or international) that can bring greater resources, personnel, and transport capacity to bear in combating and containing biological warfare than the military. The CDC might have superior expertise with contagions than the military, but that expertise is useful only in the context of advising and directing efforts ultimately executed by someone else. They lack the personnel to tackle and contain a contagion on a multi-national scale. Had it ended up being necessary, the CDC lacks the personnel and hardware to effect and enforce any large-scale quarantine. Ebola getting loose from West Africa and coming here as more than a handful of isolated cases, in this era of multiple travel methods, certainly represents a threat to the United States.

I guess the points I made sailed right over your head. No one is arguing that the Military has manpower, logistics etc...but are NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE EBOLA Outbreaks. We were lucky that none of our troops contracted Ebola. If they had. How would you have responded to that?

If that is that case, then what outbreaks are they trained to handle?

We aren't trained to handle outbreaks as a whole. We do what we can when nature does its destruction. We are trained to protect ourselves when Chemical Attacks happen but we are not trained to handle outbreaks...we can offer help but this perception that our Military can handle all of this and are trained is a bad one. We are trained to destroy and break things, we are trained to take down our enemies when we are allowed too...

That is a better response that your previous one. Thank you. I never said the military was trained to handle outbreaks as a whole, and I never suggested that the military could handle any outbreak. What I said was that the military is always in a better position to mobilize resources, personnel, and expertise than any civilian agency. Furthermore, if it comes to a quarantine situation in order to contain an outbreak, the military is far more capable of effecting that than any civilian agency. I was not suggesting that the military is infallible at handling contagions. What I am saying is basically that from the President's desk, the military is the most effective option in that case.

The CDC will be your best bet. They have the Strategic National Stockpiles sitting in warehouses ready to move to planes that are sitting at the ready. It is possible that the military would be better at quarantines depending on the level of resistance.

[AUUSN 823]

And what was wrong with sending 3000 troops to help Liberia fight Ebola? This author is whacko.

Not the military's fight...more along the lines of USAID and not Airborne Troops.

Damn straight! How dare Bush send us in support of tsunami relief! :-\

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

I am realistic. I'm sorry you have no idea what you're talking about.

http://www.defense.g...014/1014_ebola/

Sorry buddy but you are the person without the clue? What is your experience within our CBRN forces? What is your experience with WMD? You are good at googling graphics on the internet but you have no clue what our capabilities really are....and the same can be said for those arguing about the military having the resources etc.....What I was talking about was being trained and you all want to take it in another whole direction and put out meaningless graphics and spout stats but you all really don't have the facts....I have over 10 years in that arena and was a plank owner (if you know what that means) in the stand up of our JTF that does WMD elimination. I have experience in that planning and you all seem to think that the military is the magic answer but it isn't can they do the job given training? Sure...but that is besides the point...we sent AIRBORNE troops and not our CBRNE troops...and we are not trained to handle infectious diseases. Also, the real question is why did we send our troops anyway? That is the real question? We sent them to handle this crisis in Africa? Why? to prevent spreading to the US? we can screen folks coming in. And for Domestic events....The military ISN"T the first responder...DoD has to be invited in unless it is determined to be a National Crisis and then they MAY be given the lead. You guys may want to look up US law and how it pertains to the Military and its use within the Borders....Of Course with this Administration who knows what laws they will break if something happens...THey have been quite adept at doing that over the past few years....

I posted those graphic to show we were there for reasons other than what you're whinning about. Those reasons were just as important and it was perfectly within the DoD mission set.

[homersapien 11,367]

The CBRN forces are the best option we've got for dealing with a biological outbreak.

Not to say they can handle it alone, but if we have to send serious help anywhere in the world they are at the top of the list.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

The CBRN forces are the best option we've got for dealing with a biological outbreak.

Not to say they can handle it alone, but if we have to send serious help anywhere in the world they are at the top of the list.

So tell me homer what would the CBRN forces do in dealing with a biological outbreak?

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

And what was wrong with sending 3000 troops to help Liberia fight Ebola? This author is whacko.

Not the military's fight...more along the lines of USAID and not Airborne Troops.

Damn straight! How dare Bush send us in support of tsunami relief! :-\

Different Context and if you are in the Navy you should know that....Humanitarian relief is something that we are trained for...fighting Ebola isn't....give me a break and try to be realistic....

I am realistic. I'm sorry you have no idea what you're talking about.

http://www.defense.g...014/1014_ebola/

Sorry buddy but you are the person without the clue? What is your experience within our CBRN forces? What is your experience with WMD? You are good at googling graphics on the internet but you have no clue what our capabilities really are....and the same can be said for those arguing about the military having the resources etc.....What I was talking about was being trained and you all want to take it in another whole direction and put out meaningless graphics and spout stats but you all really don't have the facts....I have over 10 years in that arena and was a plank owner (if you know what that means) in the stand up of our JTF that does WMD elimination. I have experience in that planning and you all seem to think that the military is the magic answer but it isn't can they do the job given training? Sure...but that is besides the point...we sent AIRBORNE troops and not our CBRNE troops...and we are not trained to handle infectious diseases. Also, the real question is why did we send our troops anyway? That is the real question? We sent them to handle this crisis in Africa? Why? to prevent spreading to the US? we can screen folks coming in. And for Domestic events....The military ISN"T the first responder...DoD has to be invited in unless it is determined to be a National Crisis and then they MAY be given the lead. You guys may want to look up US law and how it pertains to the Military and its use within the Borders....Of Course with this Administration who knows what laws they will break if something happens...THey have been quite adept at doing that over the past few years....

I posted those graphic to show we were there for reasons other than what you're whinning about. Those reasons were just as important and it was perfectly within the DoD mission set.

we will have to disagree ....

[homersapien 11,367]

The CBRN forces are the best option we've got for dealing with a biological outbreak.

Not to say they can handle it alone, but if we have to send serious help anywhere in the world they are at the top of the list.

So tell me homer what would the CBRN forces do in dealing with a biological outbreak?

Probably the same sort to things they did in the Ebola outbreak. Who better to enforce a quarantine (for example)?

(BTW, the "B" in CBRN stands for biological.)

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

The CBRN forces are the best option we've got for dealing with a biological outbreak.

Not to say they can handle it alone, but if we have to send serious help anywhere in the world they are at the top of the list.

So tell me homer what would the CBRN forces do in dealing with a biological outbreak?

Probably the same sort to things they did in the Ebola outbreak. Who better to enforce a quarantine (for example)?

(BTW, the "B" in CBRN stands for biological.)

LOL....You are funny...I know what it stands for and what they do...I have worked with them for a few years....I am done with this thread as you and AUUSN are the primo guys who know it all but are really just spouting as usual and must have extensive experience in all things...The rest of us who have done this stuff and have been trained pale in your experience of all things....and instead of following the original topic always like to create a sideshow in these threads. We all are overshadowed by your smugness of typical ex..(BTW, the "B" in CBRN stands for biological.) ...

[AFTiger 282]

Until we get to training for war, we will be undefended. It is nice that we could send troops to handle the ebola crisis but we are cutting 40,000 troops by the end of next year so Obama can fund food stamps.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Until we get to training for war, we will be undefended. It is nice that we could send troops to handle the ebola crisis but we are cutting 40,000 troops by the end of next year so Obama can fund food stamps.

With the amount of money that we have DoD spend on these type of missions they loose that money for training and equipment upgrades. Our equipment is in deplorable condition and training isn't getting done, so fighting a different type of war will cost more lives. But we have people who don't understand that and think that these new kids coming in are trained for everything. Many people don't understand that a ton of Navy Reservist were serving in Afghanistan and Iraq but were quietly cut in force by over 60k since ~2006 so the Clinton years of do more with less are back...glad I am retiring next year. 28 years will be enough...

[Strychnine 1,802]

Until we get to training for war, we will be undefended. It is nice that we could send troops to handle the ebola crisis but we are cutting 40,000 troops by the end of next year so Obama can fund food stamps.

With the amount of money that we have DoD spend on these type of missions they loose that money for training and equipment upgrades. Our equipment is in deplorable condition and training isn't getting done, so fighting a different type of war will cost more lives. But we have people who don't understand that and think that these new kids coming in are trained for everything. Many people don't understand that a ton of Navy Reservist were serving in Afghanistan and Iraq but were quietly cut in force by over 60k since ~2006 so the Clinton years of do more with less are back...glad I am retiring next year. 28 years will be enough...

Considering the amount of money that has been, and will continue to be spent on defense, that is simply ridiculous.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Until we get to training for war, we will be undefended. It is nice that we could send troops to handle the ebola crisis but we are cutting 40,000 troops by the end of next year so Obama can fund food stamps.

With the amount of money that we have DoD spend on these type of missions they loose that money for training and equipment upgrades. Our equipment is in deplorable condition and training isn't getting done, so fighting a different type of war will cost more lives. But we have people who don't understand that and think that these new kids coming in are trained for everything. Many people don't understand that a ton of Navy Reservist were serving in Afghanistan and Iraq but were quietly cut in force by over 60k since ~2006 so the Clinton years of do more with less are back...glad I am retiring next year. 28 years will be enough...

Considering the amount of money that has been, and will continue to be spent on defense, that is simply ridiculous.

No it isn't....personnel are your biggest money sinks...we have many more civilian employees than we have ever had. The numbers of SES grade folks have almost doubled in the past 15 years. That is a ton of money out of the budget. We cut troops but not as much at the top as we need too. We have a tremendous amount crap put into the defense budget by congress that we are mandated to spend it on their pet projects. We have some other problems within the budget that I just won't go into...our brass wants to cut people to gain more room in the budget to buy/upgrade weapons systems... Defense is a costly thing and just like any other department in Gov there is a ton of waste in the budget and money spent on systems that are just put on the shelf. I have personally seen SES's manuever money around and spend more for a system that could have been done for a lot less than what they spent...but building pyramids is what gets you up in that system...

[Mims44 1,867]

Dude makes some points, and some batshit insane stuff thrown in too.

[AFTiger 282]

We are at our smallest since before WWII with increased worldwide threats in all spectrums. Yet Obama purges Generals that tell him the truth and now wants to cut troop pay.

[Strychnine 1,802]

Considering the amount of money that has been, and will continue to be spent on defense, that is simply ridiculous.

No it isn't....personnel are your biggest money sinks...we have many more civilian employees than we have ever had. The numbers of SES grade folks have almost doubled in the past 15 years. That is a ton of money out of the budget. We cut troops but not as much at the top as we need too. We have a tremendous amount crap put into the defense budget by congress that we are mandated to spend it on their pet projects. We have some other problems within the budget that I just won't go into...our brass wants to cut people to gain more room in the budget to buy/upgrade weapons systems... Defense is a costly thing and just like any other department in Gov there is a ton of waste in the budget and money spent on systems that are just put on the shelf. I have personally seen SES's manuever money around and spend more for a system that could have been done for a lot less than what they spent...but building pyramids is what gets you up in that system...

That was really my point. We basically spend more than the rest of the world combined on defense, and we do not appear to be getting what we are paying for (as is indeed true for other Government departments). For what we spend, there should be absolutely nothing for anyone to worry about militarily. The DoD FY 2015 budget request that I read was for $495.6 billion, and the summary indicated about the same amount for the previous two years. For $495.6 billion, there should be no equipment in deplorable shape, or necessary training not being done. After all, equipment and training are the two most basic needs of the military.