Army Stretching Budget to Limit

[unhappycamper]

Army Stretching Budget to Limit
Army News Service | C. Todd Lopez | February 29, 2008

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Army cannot expect to continue funding its growth, modernization and sustainability using supplemental budgets, Acting Under Secretary of the Army Nelson Ford said Thursday night.

The Army's base budget is substantially short of what is needed to sustain the current force, Ford told an audience of U.S. Army officers, allied nation officers and defense industry officials who were gathered at the Association of the United States Army's Institute of Land Warfare Winter Symposium and Exposition here.

"Our mission exceeds our money," he said. "Of course in the recent past, we do supplementals to cover the shortfalls. That can't be the plan for the future. I suggest we advocate for an increased top line for national defense."

The under secretary was quick to point out that he does not just mean an increase for the Army, but for all services and for other federal agencies called on to perform new missions in support of national defense.

"It is unrealistic for Congress to pass expanded expectations without expanded resources," he said. "And while I am not sure how much to allocate to national defense, I do know we will get the security we pay for. The question is, in a dangerous world, is 3 percent of the gross domestic product enough?"


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,163140,00.html




uhc comment: $735,700,000,000 isn't enough? --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=11462
I think Dave Lindorff hit this notion out of the park --> http://journals.democraticunderground.com/unhappycamper/239

[DainBramaged]

1. Army is broken (sung to Cat Stevens "Morning is Broken")

Army is broken, just like Viet Nam
Georege Bush has spoken, another ding dong
Praise for the soldiers, praise for the war
Praise for the contractors steeling our gold

More for the slaughter, none going home
Like the first A-bomb, the world is numb
Praise for the soldiers, give them no task
Praise for his minions, just turn their backs

No chance for peace now, just eternal war
Ignore the future, death is their hope
Praise for our soldiers, praise for the surge
George Bush has spoken, peace is no fun


(C)