POSITION PAPER
ON
BUDGET CUTS AFFECTING MILITARY READINESS
1. The United States (US) military is the strongest, most lethal military in the world. Leading the way in global defense, the US military is a force to be reckoned with. Having a strong military not only ensures the freedom and safety of American citizens, but ensures that it is able to protect and defend those around the world that cannot defend themselves. Like many of the US federal and state institutions, the military is currently facing steep budget cuts. Although these cuts are deemed necessary by a large percentage of the population and our elected officials, the budget cuts to the military will affect readiness. To get a better understanding of how these budget cuts will …show more content…
Without modernized and maintained equipment to use, Soldiers, Seaman, Marines, and Airmen will not able to perform their respective missions. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have caused a lot of wear and tear on the military’s equipment as a whole. Without the necessary funding to make the needed repairs and upkeep of these vital pieces of equipment, the military will not be fully ready to fulfill their missions. A perfect example of this is the 276 F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters in the Marine Corps inventory; only about 30 percent are ready to fly. Similarly, only 42 of 147 heavy-lift CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters are currently airworthy1. According to Graham Warwick from Aviation Week & Space Technology, sacrificing fleets of aircraft such as the Air Force close-air-support A-10s and the Army OH-58D in order to balance the military budget will inflict real damage to the military mission2. Without the needed air and ground equipment in the hands of our trained military, the mission cannot be fully supported, thus degrading our military readiness as a whole. According to Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster, the Army is behind in modernization against current and future threats and will be forced to use equipment such as the Abram tanks for the foreseeable future even when they are …show more content…
The largest and most important con of cutting the military budget in terms of military readiness is the toll that it is and will take on the warfighters. The impact the members of the military are currently feeling by cutting their benefits across the board will surely affect morale and retention rates, in turn, this will affect military readiness. The pay raise for 2016 was 1.3 percent and for fiscal year 2017 it has been proposed that it will be 1.6 percent. This is still a half percentage point below the 2.1 percent that would make it equal to the average private sector pay raise6. Basic allowance for housing will decrease from covering 100 percent of the cost of housing to only 95 percent of the cost of housing by 20197. Aside from housing and pay raise cuts, there is also a proposal to cut $1 billion from the budget of Commissaries. In order to make up for this federal subsidy shortfall, it has been recommended to increase the price of foods and other goods8. These entitlement decreases and limited pay raises will decrease buying power and increase out of pocket expenses for military members. If the warfighter deems that they are not being taken care of, the morale and retention of these members will drop. Without members to fight the fight, the military will not be ready to execute its
ON
BUDGET CUTS AFFECTING MILITARY READINESS
1. The United States (US) military is the strongest, most lethal military in the world. Leading the way in global defense, the US military is a force to be reckoned with. Having a strong military not only ensures the freedom and safety of American citizens, but ensures that it is able to protect and defend those around the world that cannot defend themselves. Like many of the US federal and state institutions, the military is currently facing steep budget cuts. Although these cuts are deemed necessary by a large percentage of the population and our elected officials, the budget cuts to the military will affect readiness. To get a better understanding of how these budget cuts will …show more content…
Without modernized and maintained equipment to use, Soldiers, Seaman, Marines, and Airmen will not able to perform their respective missions. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have caused a lot of wear and tear on the military’s equipment as a whole. Without the necessary funding to make the needed repairs and upkeep of these vital pieces of equipment, the military will not be fully ready to fulfill their missions. A perfect example of this is the 276 F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters in the Marine Corps inventory; only about 30 percent are ready to fly. Similarly, only 42 of 147 heavy-lift CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters are currently airworthy1. According to Graham Warwick from Aviation Week & Space Technology, sacrificing fleets of aircraft such as the Air Force close-air-support A-10s and the Army OH-58D in order to balance the military budget will inflict real damage to the military mission2. Without the needed air and ground equipment in the hands of our trained military, the mission cannot be fully supported, thus degrading our military readiness as a whole. According to Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster, the Army is behind in modernization against current and future threats and will be forced to use equipment such as the Abram tanks for the foreseeable future even when they are …show more content…
The largest and most important con of cutting the military budget in terms of military readiness is the toll that it is and will take on the warfighters. The impact the members of the military are currently feeling by cutting their benefits across the board will surely affect morale and retention rates, in turn, this will affect military readiness. The pay raise for 2016 was 1.3 percent and for fiscal year 2017 it has been proposed that it will be 1.6 percent. This is still a half percentage point below the 2.1 percent that would make it equal to the average private sector pay raise6. Basic allowance for housing will decrease from covering 100 percent of the cost of housing to only 95 percent of the cost of housing by 20197. Aside from housing and pay raise cuts, there is also a proposal to cut $1 billion from the budget of Commissaries. In order to make up for this federal subsidy shortfall, it has been recommended to increase the price of foods and other goods8. These entitlement decreases and limited pay raises will decrease buying power and increase out of pocket expenses for military members. If the warfighter deems that they are not being taken care of, the morale and retention of these members will drop. Without members to fight the fight, the military will not be ready to execute its