Force Structure Cuts Coming

[unhappycamper]

Force Structure Cuts Coming
By Greg Grant and Colin Clark Thursday, May 20th, 2010 12:07 pm
Posted in Land, Policy

Defense Secretary Robert Gates put it clearly earlier this month at the Eisenhower Luncheon, “it’s a simple matter of math.” While it would be the prudent way to go to keep the force structure at current levels, being that we are a nation in a pair of wars, he said, there is the problem of budgetary realities. “It is highly unlikely that we will achieve the real growth rates necessary to sustain the current force structure.”

At a news conference this afternoon, Gates made clear his commitment: “I intend to spend every day, for as long as I remain secretary of defense, doing all I can to implement these reforms that are so critical to sustaining our military in the years ahead.”

Gates has the full support of the uniformed military in the building, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the news conference.

“The proper stewardship of the taxpayers’ dollars is high on absolutely everybody’s list,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said. “I don’t underestimate the challenge that is here. But I think being able to get at overhead and shift it … and do so inside the force structure that we have right now is absolutely critical.”

To pay troops and to buy new weapons, savings must be found inside the defense budget, Gates said at his earlier speech: cut overhead costs, which typically means redundant management; to convert unneeded tail to tooth.