Cut the debt, but don't undercut our military By J. Randy Forbes

Cut the debt, but don't undercut our military By J. Randy Forbes Americans boast the finest military in the world. For decades, we have confronted challenges with a force unmatched in training, skill, and equipment. Americans assume this will remain true in the future. But is our military ready for future challenges? As leaders in Washington grapple with the debilitating debt crisis, many are quick to look to our armed forces for significant cost savings. Those willing to consider this dangerous path ought to consider the following: •We have a shrinking force. In 1990, the U.S. had a 546-ship Navy; today we have 285. The U.S. had 76 Army brigades in 1990; today we have 45. Two decades ago, the Air Force had twice as many fighter squadrons and bombers as today. •We have an aging force. Navy ships and light attack vehicles, on average, were built 20 years ago; bombers average 34 years in age. Our tankers are nearly 50 years old. •We have a strained force. In the last four years, inspection failures for Navy ships have nearly tripled. Currently, one of 5 ships inspected is either unfit for combat or severely degraded, and a majority of the Navy's deployed aircraft is unable to accomplish all assigned missions. Navy Adm. Jonathan Greenert indicated that "the stress on the force is real, and it has been relentless." Marine Corps stockpiles of critical equipment such as radios, small arms and generators face severe shortages. Over a third of active Army units do not have sufficient personnel to perform their missions; an even higher percentage of units in the Reserve face similar challenges. Gen. Philip Breedlove provided his candid assessment: "Some portions of the Air Force are right at the ragged edge." Dire choices These realities are sobering. Our nation's services face critical shortfalls that threaten the ability of our military to respond to national security challenges. Commanders are being forced to consider dire choices as the readiness of our force continues to be challenged. But that is just today. The heated debt ceiling debate in Washington threatens to further accelerate and exacerbate our military's challenges. President Obama has announced plans to cut $400 billion from the defense budget over a 12-year period; plans in the Senate could more than double these cuts in the coming decade. If these cuts come to fruition, the picture of our future readiness is grim. In a hearing this week before the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, the second-in-command of each military service made alarming predictions. Air Force Gen. Breedlove testified that proposed cuts would result in a "fundamental restructure of what it is our nation expects from our Air Force." Similarly, Gen. Joseph Dunford argued budget cuts would necessitate "fundamental changes" in the capability of our Marine Corps. Gen. Peter Chiarelli lamented that the Army is already unable to meet all the valid needs of commanders on the ground, while Navy Adm. Greenert echoed, "I can't see how we can sustain this pace of operations indefinitely and meet our readiness standards." Perhaps more alarming, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, the nominee to become the top U.S. military officer, warned at his confirmation hearing this week that it would be "extraordinarily difficult and very high risk" to cut $800 billion from defense spending. Enough already This rare public outcry from our nation's top military brass ought to chill the fervor of those poised to make significant cutbacks to our nation's military strength. Per President Obama's budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2011, the government has already slashed $439 billion from the defense budget over 10 years. Enacted with little analysis of risk or impact to national security, this first round of substantial cuts immediately forced our military services to compromise their ability to fulfill the needs of our commanders. Make no mistake: We must look for ways to reduce the federal debt. And the Department of Defense must be audited and held accountable for the tax dollars it spends. But defense spending is not what put us in our fiscal sinkhole, and gutting our national military strength to pay the bills will not get us out of it. A defense budget in decline will undermine our ability to project power, strengthen our adversaries, and weaken our alliances. Americans must answer the question: Are we ready to accept the "very high risk" that will accompany the dismantling of our nation's military power? Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Va., is chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee. Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-07-28-american-military-budget-cuts_n.htm   Carl Ray Louk "FRIENDSHIP NEVER ENDS" SG-1996 "LET LOVE LEAD THE WAY" SG-2000 "THE PHOENIX SHALL RISE" SD "EVEN A MAN WHO IS PURE IN HEART AND SAYS HIS PRAYERS BY NIGHT, MAY BECOME A WOLF WHEN THE WOLFBANE BLOOMS AND THE AUTUMN MOON IS BRIGHT." LT-1941 "FLESH OF MY FLESH; BLOOD OF MY BLOOD; KIN OF MY KIN WHEN SAY COME TO YOU, YOU SHALL CROSS LAND OR SEA TO DO MY BIDDING!" CVTD-1895 "FROM HELL'S HEART I STAB AT THEE, FOR HATE SAKE I SPIT MY LAST BREATH AT THEE" CA-1895  "I HAVE BEEN, AND ALWAYS SHALL BE YOUR FRIEND" Spock  "TRICK OR TREAT, TRICK OR TREAT CANDY IS DANDY BUT MURDER, OH MURDER, IS SO SWEET" CRL-2003  "EYE OF NEWT, AND TOE OF FROG, WOOL OF BAT, AND TONGUE OF DOG ADDER'S FORK, BLIND-WORM'S STING, LIZARD'S LEG, AND OWLET'S WING. FOR A CHARM OF POWERFUL TROUBLE, LIKE A HELL-BROTH BOIL AND BABBLE. 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