The only thing I am surprised to see is the canceling of the presidential helicopter program.

I wonder if the Big Dog program will continue? This is one of the coolest and most needed products soldiers need. They carry so much they have become less soldier, and more pack mule.

Clinton jumped on top of the “peace” dividend that was handed to him by Uncle Ronnie, and promptly cut defense spending to spend the money on other things.

For moral reasons, he also ordered spies of nefarious nature to be taken off the CIA payroll, wich greatly hindered our intelligence gathering capability.
Along with the inaction after the 93 WTC bombing,
the disgrace of Samalia, and more or less sticking his finger out the window to see how he should think and act, Clinton’s actions and inactions finally ended on 9-11.

I’ve been told those who ignore history tend to repeat it.
Just what is in store for us with this man, Obama?

see ya after the game. GO SPARTANS

Unfortunately, the current hacks do not understand that the US military needs to be equipped to handle both the “Low-Intensity” conflicts (or overseas contingency operations, as I suppose we’re all supposed to call them now) we find ourselves currently engaged in, as well as the traditional large scale conflicts of the past (and future).

During the Cold War, the US relied upon bringing superior technology to the battlefield as a force multiplier, allowing our troops to achieve substantially higher kill ratios than the enemy. Our tanks, particularly the M1, could engage Eastern Bloc systems beyond ranges where the enemy could return fire. Our fighter aircraft, working in conjunction with AWACs, could eliminate opposition air cover well outside of visual range. Our naval fleet allowed us to project our authority and protect our country anywhere in the world in a matter of days. All because of superior technology…

Post- Cold War, the military higher ups finally recognized the value of our Elite military units, such as SEALs, Army Special Forces, Rangers, Force Recon, and Combat Controllers, during operations in Panama, Iraq, Bosnia, and countless un-named locations. The best trained soldiers in the world working in conjunction with Predator and Global Hawk UAVs have taught the bad guys that they can run but they can’t hide.

The United States’ is actually at a unique position militarily in that, on our current track (assuming these changes do NOT happen), we will have a military that is more than capable of responding to a wide-variety of threats, without committing huge amounts of personnel to the battlefield. Again, largely due to our technological advantage and commitment to fighting the “next war.”

What the administration proposes is eliminating that technological advantage that we bring to the battlefield, at a time when the gap between our most advanced tools and the rest of the world’s is rapidly narrowing. The F-22 is the US Air Force’s only real answer to the Russian Su-35/Su-37. The rapidly deteriorating F-15 fleet is likely still capable of going head-to-head with the best that the Russians/Chinese have to offer, but it will not sustain the kinds of kill ratios needed to establish and maintain air superiority…

Of course, it’s all moot, as at the rate this administration is spending all the Chinese will have to do is stop buying our debt and we’ll no longer be able to put fuel in all of that equipment anyway….

It is arguably the most mature satellite design in history. They are cancelling without any plan to provide support to the Army’s 2020 mission needs.

Yeah, I’m pretty bitter today.

Unlike Head Start and a few thousand other giveaways, defense spending is considered a “cost” not an “investment”.

of cutback during the Carter years, a cutback that led to the diasaster in the desert and the failed rescue attempt of the hostages? The only message sent by Gates is one that will embolden our enemies. We never seem to learn from our mistakes. May God help us.

This administration is criminally negligent.

As soon as there’s an attack on this country, everyone involved in these decisions should be brought up on charges and put on trial, AFAIAC.

Does that about sum it up?

Of course, it gives the liberal idiots a ready excuse to complain about spending when somebody has to come in and clean up the mess they’ve made. Also, of course, they always wait until their messes are cleaned up a bit before they start whining again.

It will be interesting to see how O&M (operations and maintenance) funds end up. Some of the greatest damage from the Carter / Clinton era was due to cutbacks in maintenance. Duct tape and super glue can only go so far repairing aircraft. It does focus you a bit more on emergency procedures though since equipment breaks down so much more frequently.

Oh, screw it……………..

I’m wondering how long it will take (maybe after we’re attacked again) for this Marxist putz and his staff to get physically removed from office and tossed into a deep hole in the ground.

The tipping point is getting closer…………..

………….and still the majority of people care more about American Idol.

Has he asked Congress to take a pay cut?Would he himself take a pay cut just to set a good example while he raids the treasury.?
We know the answer.
What other bloated govt. agency will actually shrink besides defense spending.
At least with defense spending we get something in return.
We can give hundreds of billions away to silly “shovel ready” busy work projects just to give people temporary jobs but he wants to reduce the F-22 Raptor program that puts thousand of people to work and in return we get the most advanced jet in the world.

Hmmm…let’s see.Some guy picking up trash with a stick or some guy building a jet to keep America safe.
Which one is really more necessary?

Reduce the number of support service contractors from our current 39% to 26% and replace them with as many as 30,000 full-time government employees.

as a cut.. It’ll cost more, way more once the union gets done with it.

anything new?

They way I understand it, Sec. Gates is saying that we are cutting weaponry, systems and programs that may not fit the dynamic of today’s type of warfare.

So the obvious question is; what weaponry, systems and programs are replacing the outdated stuff?

I’ll give Sec. Gates the benefit of the doubt that he would push back to Obama if he knew something that would be eliminated would put the U.S. at risk of not maintaining its military might over the rest of the world.

I disagree with many of the cuts listed in the post, and I’m not surprised, they are the “big” cuts. I think missile defense is essential and that developing more advanced weapons will lead to less American causalities in future conflicts.

However, I do think that it is a little disingenuous to believe that any cut in the defense budget will make America less safe. Not that anyone really implied that, but I am just saying with the way any government works there has to be fat to trim in every area, not just social programs. I don’t claim to know what these cuts may be, but maybe that plane/helicopter thing that was in the transformer movie? From what I’ve read its performance has been shaky at best.

It needs to be kept in mind that as conservatives we need to be against any and all government waste. We shouldn’t have sacred cows like the libs, if there are ways to responsibly cut spending in the realm defense it should be done.

Obama’s cuts in my opinion will make America less safe. With Hezbollah in Central American and moving north, Obama bending over and grabbing his ankles all over the globe, Hillary’s “smart” (LOL) power, and the rest of the shenanigans currently passing as responsible behavior, it really is only a matter of time.

Ever since Obama was elected I have told people in conversation that all this economic nonsense will be forgotten very quickly when Obama gets a real test. He will have a crisis to deal with, whether it’s a Cuban missile like crisis with Venezuela, a domestic terrorist attack, or something else on the international scene, he will be tested, just ask Joe bidden. Unfortunately when that test comes, his defense cuts plus his inexperience could be a dangerous combo for America.

I know the background is blue….I am working on it…..

Until the ABL seems like an obviously good idea?

Imagine a world where in 2-6 hours you could have the ability in place to shoot down any ballistic missiles.

For crying out loud if Obama wonders why N Korea, Iran, and Syria don’t take him seriously then perhaps he should look at what kind of message these cuts send to these regimes. These nations couldn’t care less about Obama’s words, only his actions matter. Here’s a big green light to them to do whatever they want.

I wish I was worng. I wish people called me an alarminst I was so worng. I dont care what they would say as long as the nation stayed strong.

especially when someone does it for me…..wait feeling a little liberal, like when people do things for me, want my mortgage paid, fill my gas tank, getting dizzy.

Just kidding thanks Mr. Enamual and DONTREADONME!!

to not violate the profanity ban. That’s all that comes to mind right now.

Can Texas secede and pick up these programs?

I just hope that he can make some long term cuts (after the recession is over), and balance the budget, which most projections I have heard don’t seem to do much in that aspect.

But yah, Some defense things need to be cut. Good for him.

Lou Dobbs (the only thing worth seeing on CNN) covered cuts to additional/new Armored Vehicles…. after the Democrats spent years blaming Bush for not having sufficient Armor (Vehicle wise or Body wise) for the last 8 years that was, of course, the fault of Defense Cuts under Clinton (how every Democrat admin repeats the failure of history) that left us having to “go to war with the Army we had” (Rummy ref) over the one we would have preferred and probably had if Democrats hadn’t slashed Defense before!!!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512970,00.html