Gates, Obama, McCain fight for those on the front line
Reporter Ann Tyson Scott, embedded with Marines in Afghanistan for The Washington Post, writes about shortages handicapping U.S. forces under fire:
“U.S. Marines pushing deeper into Taliban territory in Afghanistan’s Helmand River Valley are short of basic equipment and supplies ranging from radios and vehicles to uniforms.
Here in Garmsir District, critical supplies of food, water and ammunition are being dropped to troops by helicopters ferrying sling-loads to bypass roads implanted with bombs, leaving little room to carry other gear.
Several Marines from one company, for example, ripped their pants during an arduous foot march and are still waiting for replacements — some in boxer shorts, officers said.
“We’re short vehicles, we’re short frog-suits [uniforms] … radios are trickling in,” said Gunnery Sgt. Robert Larosa of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. Larosa said that the lack of basic gear is unprecedented in his experience, which includes seven other deployments. “This is a first,” he said.”
The day that account was published in the Post, Defense Secretary Robert Gates was in Chicago, making a critically important speech about Pentagon procurement problems and priorities, among them the high priority placed on high-tech weapons programs at the expense of more mundane items that our troops really need on the battlefield, where lives and wars can be lost.
“I learned about this lack of bureaucratic priority for the wars we are in the hard way – during my first few months on the job as the Iraq surge was getting underway. The challenges I faced in getting what our troops needed in the field stood in stark contrast to the support provided conventional modernization programs – weapons designed to fight other modern armies, navies, and air forces – that had been in the pipeline for many years and had acquired a loyal and enthusiastic following in the Pentagon, in the Congress, and in industry. The most pressing needs of today’s warfighter – on the battlefield, in the hospital, or at home – simply lacked place and power at the table when priorities were being set and long-term budget decisions were being made.”
A budget is about choosing. If you want this, you can’t have that. If you want the F-22, you can’t have other things, more basic and useful things. As Gates points out in his speech, his predecessor in the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld, came to the same conclusion, both about the F-22 in particular and the defense budget as a whole. So did President Obama’s predecessor in the White House. And now, finally, is the time to begin to turn that analysis into policy.
“if we can’t bring ourselves to make this tough but straightforward decision – reflecting the judgment of two very different presidents, two different secretaries of defense, two chairmen of the joint chiefs of staff, and the current Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff, where do we draw the line?” Gates asked. “And if not now, when? If we can’t get this right – what on earth can we get right? It is time to draw the line on doing defense business as usual. The president has drawn that line. And that red line is a veto. And it is real.”
Gates also pointed out that the proposed 2010 military budget of $534 billion is higher than the previous budget of $515 billion, and higher than the budget initially proposed for next year by the Bush administration. “In total, by one estimate, our budget adds up to about what the entire rest of the world combined spends on defense,” he told the crowd in Chicago. “Only in the parallel universe that is Washington, D.C., would that be considered ‘gutting’ defense’.”
As he also noted, “if the Department of Defense can’t figure out a way to defend the United States on a budget of more than half a trillion dollars a year, then our problems are much bigger than anything that can be cured by buying a few more ships and planes.”
Gates is a longtime Republican. He and Obama have been joined in this campaign by people such as Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. John McCain, a former fighter pilot and Obama’s opponent in the 2008 presidential campaign. That ought to be a formidable team, but they are opposed by a three-headed beast that has succeeded in defeating similar reform efforts in the past.
“First, there is the Congress, which is understandably concerned, especially in these tough economic times, about protecting jobs in certain states and congressional districts,” Gates said. “There is the defense and aerospace industry, which has an obvious financial stake in the survival and growth of these programs. And there is the institutional military itself – within the Pentagon, and as expressed through an influential network of retired generals and admirals, some of whom are paid consultants to the defense industry, the companies paid hundreds of billions to build hyper-sophisticated weapons systems.”
On the particular question of the F-22, Gates addressed the issue of necessity head on. The plane is assembled in Cobb County using components built all around the country, a process devised to build political support for the program in Congress. It is a very expensive and highly advanced fighter, easily the best jet fighter on the planet. But it is also “a niche, silver-bullet solution for one or two potential scenarios – specifically the defeat of a highly advanced enemy fighter fleet,” Gates said. “The F-22, to be blunt, does not make much sense anyplace else in the spectrum of conflict.”
Recognizing that weakness, supporters of the F-22 are trying to suggest other potential missions for the plane. As Gates wryly noted, one of those retired generals paid to shill for the defense industry even went on national TV a while back to propose that the F-22 be used “to go after Somali pirates who in many cases are teenagers with AK-47s – a job we already know is better done at much less cost by three Navy SEALs.”
“Consider that by 2020, the United States is projected to have nearly 2,500 manned combat aircraft of all kinds,” Gates pointed out. “Of those, nearly 1,100 will be the most advanced fifth generation F-35s and F-22s. China, by contrast, is projected to have no fifth generation aircraft by 2020. And by 2025, the gap only widens. The U.S. will have approximately 1,700 of the most advanced fifth generation fighters versus a handful of comparable aircraft for the Chinese. Nonetheless, some portray this scenario as a dire threat to America’s national security.”
Treating the defense budget as a jobs program, as a bottomless goody bag from which to dispense earmarks for favored friends and lobbyists, is simply wrong. To be blunt, it elevates corporate profits and political influence over the nation’s security and over the obligations we owe to our personnel in uniform. As Gates noted in his closing, “these threats demand that all of our nation’s leaders rise above the politics and parochialism that have too often plagued considerations of our nation’s defense – from industry to interest groups, from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, from one end of Pennsylvania Avenue to the other.”
“Just as our men and women in uniform are doing their duty to this end, we in Washington must now do ours.”
I hope he succeeds.
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168 comments Add your comment
GayGrayGeek
July 17th, 2009
8:32 am
t elevates corporate profits and political influence over the nation’s security and over the obligations we owe to our personnel in uniform
Yet the Grumpy Old Paleface party insists that funneling our tax money to Big Bidness is more important than supplying our troops what they need. After all, the Grumpy Old Palefaces are already “supporting the troops” by slapping a Yellow Ribbon Magnet on their SUVs, right?
Turd Ferguson
July 17th, 2009
8:34 am
The soldiers needs should come first. Above the needs of these urban slackers dealing crack, riding in they hoopdies while awaiting there next welfare check and food stamp vouchers. All these silly social programs are breaking this Country. The State shouldnt be expected to furnish breakfast, lunch and school after care at the expense of the taxpayer. The majority of these little kids parents are crooks and should be tossed into jail. The money that should be spent on their kids is spent on 20 inch rims, hoopdies, Chevy Tahoes, PS3, $150 reeboks and other non-sense.
Put these fraudulent parents to work or let them starve.
DebbieDoRight
July 17th, 2009
8:37 am
Gates also pointed out that the proposed 2010 military budget of $534 billion is higher than the previous budget of $515 billion, and higher than the budget initially proposed for next year by the Bush administration. “In total, by one estimate, our budget adds up to about what the entire rest of the world combined spends on defense,” he told the crowd in Chicago. “Only in the parallel universe that is Washington, D.C., would that be considered ‘gutting’ defense’.”
Good comment. But trying to get “pay to play” politicians to do what’s right (loose the F22); over doing whats expediently cash cow worthy, (Chambliss), is dang near impossible. I read somewhere that Eisenhower, (ex-Pres; ex-General of WWII); warned about the mega trillion dollar albatross, that would be known as “defense spending” and how, even in the 50s, it was growing dangerously out of control.
DebbieDoRight
July 17th, 2009
8:39 am
Turd — Do you have ANY idea what universe you currently reside in?
Brian
July 17th, 2009
8:42 am
Just like any other government program, it’s rampant with abuse and fraud. I mean awarding defense contracts without any bidding process ensures we’re getting the best prices right? Not!
Mrs. Godzilla
July 17th, 2009
8:45 am
Turd Lemonade has no problem with streets littered with the corpses
of the poor and unfortunate and their children. He’s a minion of the anti-Christ. Just saying….
Kamchak
July 17th, 2009
8:49 am
“The State shouldnt(sic) be expected to furnish breakfast, lunch and school after care at the expense of the taxpayer.”
Yep, just give them one glass of turd lemonade and all is well with the world.
Turd Ferguson
July 17th, 2009
8:53 am
You are correct. I dont care about the poor idiot who refuse to work and are content to live in squalor and their own feces. I hope they enjoy it. I hope the homeless enjoy milling about all day looking for they next crack hit…I hope the prostitute enjoys her life also being a crack whore. I hope they enjoy it because that is what they choose to be doing.
So Doright and Godzilla why are you two bleeding hearts on this thread? Shouldnt you be down at Woodruff park passing out chicken biscuts and coffee. Shouldnt you rent a van, pick up a load of homeless and transport them to your home to live with you? Go ahead and do something about the urban plight instead of constructing your fake facades in an attempt to relieve your self/media imposed guilt.
Personaly responsbility is quite a concept eh?
Question
July 17th, 2009
8:55 am
Pelosi and her minions continue to spend OUR money as if it’s theirs to do with as they please — with no accountability and as part of their plan to continue to penalize success and reward low-life failures!!!!
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that Democrats could use a proposed new tax on the wealthy to pay down the deficit, if there’s money left over after funding healthcare reform.
Pelosi (D-Calif.) said if more savings are found than the initial amount estimated to help offset the $1 trillion-plus healthcare plan, the tax revenues carved out to offset the bill’s cost could be funneled toward deficit reduction.
DB, Gwinnettian
July 17th, 2009
8:56 am
Please. Jay’s made a solid case, and he’s got the usual buffoons on their heels, wondering how to address it.
Let’s not get distracted by the racist nonsense of Turd, aka “Lefty Lemonade,” the man who pretended to be an Obama voter and who still posts here even though he was outed as a liar.
So, Whiner & co.–You gonna tell us how “the next time McCain and Gates defend this country, it’ll be the first time?” I’d love to hear me some of that.
Copyleft
July 17th, 2009
8:57 am
This is terrible! Clearly we need to award some more no-bid defense contracts right away–somebody call Blackwater and Halliburton!
Oh, and order up some more F-22s that we aren’t using and don’t need… that’ll fix the basic operational supplies problem, if past successes are any indication!
Trust me
July 17th, 2009
8:57 am
What the heck. As long as China is willing to loan us more money to build the things and it keeps the politicians in office…besides, I figure if you were to hollow out some bombs and stuff the casings with trousers, you could safely deliver those much needed supplies without fear of losing a single “Made in Pakistan” label. Unless, the military doesn’t buy Levi’s. Do they?
retiredds
July 17th, 2009
8:57 am
The real issue here is votes. Saxby and Johnny need votes. If they lose the F-22 what happens to them? I have to laugh so hard it makes me cry, Saxby and Johnny telling Gates and the military what it needs. Also, follow the money. I wonder how much Lockheed contributes to Saxby’s and Johnny’s political campaigns.
Real
July 17th, 2009
8:59 am
So this is a person and government PresBO actually thinks he can extend an olive branch to….better to send him a few of our cruise missiles or give Israel the green light…
Newly re-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday his next government “would bring down the global arrogance,” signaling a tougher approach by Tehran toward the West after last month’s disputed election.
josef nix
July 17th, 2009
9:01 am
retiredds
“…follow the money…”
Every time and every issue…
getalife
July 17th, 2009
9:04 am
“The soldiers needs should come first:,”
Then turd goes off on a racist rant.
turd is weird.
Anyhoo, looks the the military industrial complex is like our government.
Corrupt.
So, I guess we will see more troops fighting in their boxers.
josef nix
July 17th, 2009
9:04 am
Real–
“…or give Israel the green light…”
Which he will sooner or later and it ought to be fun watching the Israel bashing Obamista element do a two-step with that one…
Trust me
July 17th, 2009
9:04 am
For Saxby, this is just a continuation of his Imperial Sugar performance. He’s such a sweet man. Always looking out for the well being of the citizens.
DB, Gwinnettian
July 17th, 2009
9:04 am
Real @ 8.59, care to address the actual topic? Else I’m assuming your mission here is akin to Turd’s–i.e., to distract.
You think we oughta pour money into more F-22s that the DoD sec’y doesn’t want, or not?
(out for a bit…)
USinUK
July 17th, 2009
9:06 am
Debbie –
“Turd — Do you have ANY idea what universe you currently reside in?”
thanks for making potato chips spew across my desk
Mrs. Godzilla
July 17th, 2009
9:06 am
Turd Lemonade
Perhaps you’d be willing to teach Debbie and I all the
faux facade techniques you have so obviously mastered.
Do you enjoy reporting to the dark lord?
Scooter
July 17th, 2009
9:06 am
Politics as usual. So much for “change” but we still have “hope”.
FinnMcCool
July 17th, 2009
9:07 am
Can’t the Marietta Lockheed facility be put to other uses? Are there no more plane plans on the drwaing board?
That’s what a manufacturing facility does: it manufactures what’s on the table today and retools when new plans come in.
DebbieDoRight, Eisenhower’s speech (as he was leaving office) about the military industrial complex getting too powerful can be seen in the documentary “Why We Fight.” Good movie.
I Report :-) You Whine :-(
July 17th, 2009
9:07 am
If you want this, you can’t have that. If you want the F-22, you can’t have other things, more basic and useful things.
Hot damn! The liberals are finally making hard choices about cutting government spending.
And just in time too, before we run out of money entirely.
Fiscal conservatism is alive and well!
Party time!
Redneck Convert
July 17th, 2009
9:09 am
Well, what you going to have? Good jobs or a few soldiers and Marines with enough clothes and guns and radios and ammo? Me, I vote for the jobs. They can throw rocks at the enema till the economy turns around and we can afford more military stuff without raising taxes.
And that’s why we need to keep building the F-22 over in Cobb County. No, there might not be a country that threatens us with taking over the skies right now. But there might could be in the future. If we keep building the F-22 we’ll have enough to fight the country that wants to take our skies away from us when that country shows up.
So what if the big brass says they don’t want the F-22 but want guns and radios and clothese and such? We run the military, not them. If we drop the F-22 sales of double wides and pickups and cheap stuff at WalMart will drop like a big rock throwed in water.
I’m old enough to remember back when we had to make the same choice. Before WWII we didn’t have no tanks because we needed to spend our money on keeping jobs going. So the military let troops practice against tanks by rolling out pickup trucks that said “Tank” on the side. We need that kind of quick thinking by the military again till the economy turns around.
So don’t let the armchair warriors decide what we need in the military. We don’t need to see hundreds of good old boys laid off and out of work over at Lockheed. Keep building the F-22 and shove it down their throat if they say they need something else.
That’s my opinion and it’s very true. Have a good Friday everybody. And don’t worry, I’m stocking up the places with beer today so you’ll be able to quench your thirst when Bookman puts up the Travelling Music this p.m.
USinUK
July 17th, 2009
9:09 am
Finn –
“Are there no more plane plans on the drwaing board?”
welp. you have to have buyers – and they’re thin on the ground these days.
Turd Ferguson
July 17th, 2009
9:09 am
Zilla…why are you still here. You should be out being a do-gooder.
GayGrayGeek
July 17th, 2009
9:10 am
DB @ 9:04 – Just like @@ yesterday, when a WingNutter feels cornered, Change! The! Subject! and then start arguing with strawmen on the new topic.
FinnMcCool
July 17th, 2009
9:10 am
Sounds like the F-22 is a solution looking for a problem.
Normal
July 17th, 2009
9:11 am
Turd,
Personaly responsbility is quite a concept eh?
—————
You are absolutely right. There are people out there who will do anything to live off of the Government dime, but they are a very small minority. The majority of the people you put down are in need, and as the good Christian nation we are supposed to be, we need programs to help those people get back on their feet, but not support them forever.
It’s like the pro lifers, wanting to save a fetus but not wanting to set up the necessary programs to ensure that the life they want to save will be a blessing and not a burden on society. Oh no! That’s Socialism.
But this is about the Dog Face…Give them all the beans and bullets they need, properly clothe them and protect them to the best of our ability, let them do their job and bring them home. Oh yeah, and stick an F-22 up Saxby’s….
FinnMcCool
July 17th, 2009
9:12 am
USinUK,
We need to build planes to sell to other countries so we can shoot them down when we go to war with them in the next decade.
It’s a vicious circle.
Doggone/GA
July 17th, 2009
9:12 am
“Sounds like the F-22 is a solution looking for a problem”
Yeah…and at an average running cost of $44,000 an hour to fly.
Mrs. Godzilla
July 17th, 2009
9:12 am
Turd…
I am doing good.
Look behind you ….in 3….2….1
Scooter
July 17th, 2009
9:12 am
Finn, yes there are more plane plans on the board. I don’t understand all the hoopla!
FinnMcCool
July 17th, 2009
9:13 am
“if the Department of Defense can’t figure out a way to defend the United States on a budget of more than half a trillion dollars a year, then our problems are much bigger than anything that can be cured by buying a few more ships and planes.”
That is classic! I almost laughed coffee out my nose.
ByteMe
July 17th, 2009
9:15 am
Trust me, I read somewhere before that Saxby is a whore who has no problem lying flat on his back for his re-election campaign money from his corporate johns.
Oh, wait, I was the one that wrote that
Mrs. Godzilla
July 17th, 2009
9:15 am
I wonder, wouldn’t it actually be cheaper to pay the wages of the builders of the F22 and then let them surveil Turd’s house than it would be to make more of those damned things?
Normal
July 17th, 2009
9:16 am
SCOOTER: “Hope” in one hand and “Dookie” in the other and see which one gets filled up first…Just sayin’
BTW, Good Mornin!
Bosch
July 17th, 2009
9:17 am
USinUK,
Here. Here’s my monitor cleaing and keyboard cleaning devices. Hope they help. OMG, I finished Being Human last night. What a great series. Have you seen all six episodes? Because I have a question and I don’t wanna spoil it. I’m so bad about spoiling things – couple of nights ago, my son and his girlfriend were asking me if I’d go to the midnight Harry Potter show with them, and I said no, because I didn’t want to be there with all the screaming teenagers, and it was too late, and I mentioned some main character that died…..and my son’s girlfriend went “OMG, I haven’t got to that part in the book yet!!! ” Yeah, I felt like a dumbass.
Okay, on topic here.
I think it is a total no-brainer to nix the F-22 – as Jay said, you spend money on this outdated piece of junk – it’s not a piece of junk but it’s a non-effectual piece of junk – you have no money for what our soldiers need. Those who want to continue this project obviously put their wallets in front our our soldiers lives and our country. There.
But then of course, we could just forget this war nonsense and bring our soldiers home. If there are no US soldiers there to shoot at, they really don’t need so much equipment, now do they?
USinUK
July 17th, 2009
9:17 am
ByteMe –
hahahahahahaha …
Finn –
“Sounds like the F-22 is a solution looking for a problem”
as my friend Mike (former Army guy now working for the defense industry) used to say: when all you got is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
cold war? FIGHTER PLANES!
global terrorism? FIGHTER PLANES!
psoriasis? FIGHTER PLANES!
retiredds
July 17th, 2009
9:18 am
josef nix, thanks for your comment about follow the money. One other maxim that applies across the board is, “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”. When it comes to politicians, and we see this very clearly in Georgia, both of these maxims apply “absolutely”.
USinUK
July 17th, 2009
9:19 am
Bosche-
“Here. Here’s my monitor cleaing and keyboard cleaning devices. Hope they help. OMG, I finished Being Human last night. What a great series. Have you seen all six episodes?”
twice. ask away! (I can’t believe you didn’t wait for it to be aired on BBCA)
getalife
July 17th, 2009
9:19 am
Gates explanation on corruption is very good.
Good to see McTortured finally on the right side of an issue for a change.
danjonglee
July 17th, 2009
9:19 am
Stop Obama’s illegal and unjust war on the innocent peoples of Afghanistan…
Trust me
July 17th, 2009
9:19 am
If we sold F-21s to the rest of the world, wouldn’t that solve the financial issues and satisfy the needs of the war mongers at the same time.
jconservative
July 17th, 2009
9:21 am
” Treating the defense budget as a jobs program…”
This has been a major part of the problem for the past 50 years.
Go read Eisenhowers “Military/Industrial Complex” speech. Time as proven he was 100% correct.
Scooter
July 17th, 2009
9:22 am
Normal, ewwwwwwwwwwwwww (sorry Whiner)
Top of the morning to ya Normal!
Bosch
July 17th, 2009
9:22 am
And we could spend all this money on protecting our collective asses here at home – and send super agents to infiltrate and collect intelligence to get a better idea of where to drop a bomb or two every now and then.
See? Why does no one from the Pentagon every call me with this great advice? Robert Gates, if you’re monitoring….call me….I know you know my number.
USinUK
July 17th, 2009
9:22 am
hey!!!
the good news is HOUSING STARTS ARE UP (jobs, jobs, jobs)
the bad news is HOUSING STARTS ARE UP (inventory, inventory, inventory)
generally, though, it’s been a fairly positive week, economically speaking … freshly unemployed is falling, mortgage refi was up (more money in peoples’ pockets), industrial production is no longer plummeting …
Normal
July 17th, 2009
9:22 am
Trust me
July 17th, 2009
9:19 am
—–
If we sell these planes to anybody, I hope they have a self distruct program that only we know about…just sayin’