Bid to end Afghan war funding hits GOP roadblock

I would defer to these men and their opinions:

“"Go not abroad in search of monsters to destroy" - John Quincy Adams, President, United States”

"Avoid foreign entangleme*nts." -George Washington

Also, I would add that the US became a superpower because of its industrial capacity. Our industrial might has been abandoned by the globalists in our government to the detriment of our workforce and economy as a whole.

 

Really? Do tell how. Because we're feeling the brunt of an effed up budget as it is right now.

 

23, i have a question. this is not snark, it is an honest question because i am not up on these things.

NOTE: this is not a question for the masses. this is a question for 23, or any others that are serving now or have recently served.

are there any weapons systems gobbling up money that are useless/redundant/unnecessary that money could be diverted from those things, to areas where there are critical needs that need to be met? i am not talking cut the budget, but redirecting money to allow y'all to do your jobs more effectively and with sufficient basic equipment?

 

Unfortunately with that question, I can't speak with a whole lot of authority because I'm not in on that side of the equation. I'm merely a helicopter pilot. My job is to fly and fight.

That being said, I will say in my opinion that one area that needed to be cut was the 2nd engine for the Joint Strike Fighter. There was absolutely no reason to have it (other than having another option for an engine) and it was diverting money away from the Y/Z upgrade program - the program to upgrade the Hueys and Cobras to newer and better models - which on the Huey side, we DRASTICALLY need. The Huey I fly has literally been around since Vietnam and is not nearly as capable as our mission set requires. The UH-1Y is a faster, more powerful, and much more capable platform that has already done wonders for the fight in Afghanistan. So, we need that program badly and we need those aircraft out on the line now.

One of the things we pride ourselves in the Marine Corps on is that our piece of the pie is extremely minuscule compared to the other services. It's like General Amos, the Commandant, said at a recent Congressional hearing, that we get barely 8% of the Defense budget and yet we've provided over 31% of ground forces over the past year. Oh well, we're used to it and clearly we've done fine as a warfighting institution. We do more with less and we're proud of that. But it wouldn't hurt to get a little more dough...

 

That was the type answer I was looking for. One from experience. It is guys like you doing the fighting that have an understanding of what is and isn't needed. Because you are flying and fighting, you aren't "merely" anything.

 

if that was aimed at me....

i agree. in fact, the rest of your response is damned good. i believe that there are weapons programs being funded purely as a political handout back home and that the money could be diverted (not cut) to better equip the troops. but i wanted the opinion and thoughts of guys like 23 because they have the experience of viewing first hand where more funding is needed and where it is being wasted. they can tell us from a "been there done that" perspective how changes could make their jobs more efficient and successful.

if some wont read and give serious consideration to what the guys fighting, or have fought, have to say, then it is because they dont want to look at reality vs their own political ideas.

oh, and your pm box is full.

 

Posted by a draft dodger.