Fiscal 2016 sequestration marks ‘breaking point’ for the Army

It seems as if people have just gone insane in the online world. So many so upset about Obama getting off Air Force 1 with a coffee cup in the same hand he saluted a Marine with. Ok, so he should have switched hands but he didn't. That is what they are upset about but not so much the fact that our troops are under siege by Congress.

Army Chief: Fiscal 2016 sequestration marks ‘breaking point’
Fort Hood Sentinel
By David Vergun, Army News Service
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
ACROSS DOD

WASHINGTON - Should sequestration resume in fiscal year 2016, “it will be very difficult for us to lead around the world. Fiscal year 2016 is a breaking point,” said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, adding, “I’m not seeing peace breaking out around the world in (2016).”

Odierno delivered his remarks Friday, at a Defense Writers Group, at the Fairmont Hotel here, where he was guest speaker.

Everyone wants the U.S. to lead the way in resolving global conflicts and crises, he said, not necessarily supplying the preponderance of forces, but involvement to some extent. The nagging question is, “Do we want to do that or not?”

In fiscal year 2016, Odierno pointed out that the budget will go down $9 billion from what it is now. That would have a “significant degradation” on the force “because I cannot take people out fast enough.”

The general explained that manpower, modernization and training need to be kept in balance even as the budget shrinks and it’s currently out of balance with too many Soldiers and not enough dollars to properly train and equip them.

With a reduction of 20,000 a year, that’s as far as he said he’s willing to push it without seriously degrading operational concerns and personnel considerations.

Sequestration takes “a large percentage of a small portion of the budget” that would have otherwise gone to training and equipping the force, he said. The slashed budget will delay aircraft purchases, platform upgrades, improved command-and-control systems and a host of other needed requirements for years to come.

The active Army is now 510,000, which is down from a high of 570,000. It will be 490,000 by the end of fiscal year 2015, 470,000 by fiscal year 2016, 415,000 by fiscal year 2017 and 420,000 by fiscal year 2019, he pointed out.

Before the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, and the Russian incursion into Ukraine, Odierno said he testified to lawmakers that a reduction to 450,000 would pose a “significant” security risk and 420,000 would mean the Army would be unable to “execute our current strategy.”
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Guess they just weren't important enough for Congress to stick around long enough to figure out what they would approve and fund before taking off to try to get re-elected.

Military suicides keep going up so that Navy SEAL, Green Berets and other Special Forces bravest of the brave have committed suicide even after Congress spent billions a year on "preventing" them. Ya, and they just keep writing the checks no matter what happened to the troops. Top that off with they really aren't too upset over veterans committing suicide either, since their numbers went up as well.

Sorry but when it comes down to what we really have to complain about, do we really think it is a wise use of indignation to focus on feeble salute?

Oh by the way, Obama was focused on military suicides in 2008 when he was running for office and serving on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, just in case you forgot that. We expected a lot more of out of him but as of this very day, no one has been held accountable.