by Aamer Madhani
In his first public address last night, the newly-minted chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff offered a sobering assessment of the future of the U.S. military—cautioning that American forces are in a “generational” war and that the military’s needs will only grow over the coming years.
With Democrats and Republicans on the hill sparring over the costs and lengths of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Adm. Michael Mullen said that the current levels on defense spending—about 4 percent of the GNP—will not likely be enough to meet the U.S. military’s future needs.
He noted that the current level of defense spending--in percentage of the GNP-- is less than even during the Gulf War. The Bush administration has requested $481.7 billion for the defense budget in fiscal 2008 and over $190 billion more to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I just don't see us meeting the needs that we have globally in the world we're living in with less resources than we have right now in our overall baseline budget," Mullen ( pictured above) said in a speech before the Center for a New American Security in Washington.
Mullen, who earlier this week visited with troops at three Army installations in the Midwest, said that morale among soldiers and officers remains high, but that the Army—which has carried of much of the weight of the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq—is taxed. In his visits with the soldiers, he said that the common theme was that the Army was stretched.
“The troops and their families all sacrifice much to support the pace of operations, but their resilience does have limits, and we need to be mindful of that,” Mullen said. “Are the ground forces broken? Absolutely not. Are they breakable? They are.”
At the same time, he said that Americans are in “a long, generational decades kind of conflict against the radical, extremist jihadists,” and that the Army and Marine Corps, are unlikely to return to a peacetime posture in the near future.
"In this era of persistent engagement and conflict, I don't see our global responsibilities diminishing anytime soon," he said. "In fact, given the potential for regional instability throughout the world, I see our military missions expanding not contracting.”
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Comments
"Joint Chiefs chmn: Army Not Broken But 'Breakable"
Yeah and if the Republic Party and their Prez candidates (Rudy Julieannie, Willard Romney) have their way we're not only going to "break" our Army we're going to bomb Iran (act of war) and spend our country into oblivion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq9Dmoiwxo
Posted by: John E | October 26, 2007 1:43 PM
This is the same problem most American industries are facing, outsourcing. I say take all the money the State Department and Department of Defense are spending outsourcing our military, (Blackwater, SynCorp, etc.) and give it our our military. If you outsource everything, your budget is going to suffer. How can private, for profit, companies do the work for less than government owned and operated monopolies? The military does not need to make a profit, after all. Perhaps we need to shake up the Pentagon. If the people in charge there are not able to compete with private military firms, they are incompetent.
Were I elected president of this land, I would take all the money being spent on private contractors, doing military jobs, and go find someone in the Army, Marines, Navy, or Air Force who could do the job. Then I would disarm these private armies and make them illegal. Those who work for them could join that branch of the military who took over the work, if the wanted to stay in that business.
ps: At this time, I have no plan to run for office.
Posted by: San Miguel | October 26, 2007 1:56 PM
Does anyone think it's getting a little bit drafty in here?
Posted by: AJF | October 26, 2007 2:34 PM
The price we pay for our greed will lead to bankruptcy. Just ask the former Soviet Union.
Posted by: DD | October 26, 2007 3:22 PM
John E,
Willard Romney is running?
Gosh, I thought it was Mitler Rommel!
My mistake.
Posted by: C.Morris | October 26, 2007 5:25 PM
Back to the future;
If I become a first lieutenant ♫
Would you put my photo on your piano?
"To Maryjane-
Best wishes, Martin"
(Old Roger draft-dodger
Leavin' by the basement door) ♪
Everybody knows what he's
Tippy-toeing down there for
Posted by: C.Morris | October 26, 2007 5:28 PM
San Miguel: I'd vote for you!
Anyway, the U.S. keeps probing new lows. We're hiring mercenaries to fight our wars. I seem to recollect learning about 'Hessians' and 'Valley Forge' and weird stuff like that. If we're going to go that route, why in the world do we need nitwits like Mullen? Let's outsource his lazy butt to real professionals like Blackwater, and we can cut taxes. Hey, what's not to like?
Posted by: weinerdog43 | October 26, 2007 6:05 PM
"The Bush administration has requested $481.7 billion for the defense budget in fiscal 2008 and over $190 billion more to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Hey do we raise taxes to pay these tabs? Or do we let our grandchildren pay it off? Or hope the rapture comes before the bill is due?
Posted by: athena | October 27, 2007 12:24 PM
"I JUST DON'T SEE US MEETING THE NEEDS WE HAVE GLOBALLY IN THE WORLD",,,,
But what truly are these "NEEDS"? Why does the U.S. need to keep troops in South Korea 54 years after the war ended? Why can't Japan look after itself? Why do we maintain Nato more then a decade after the USSR imploded and the Warsaw Pact dissolved? Why does Hawaii "need" 27 military bases? The military-Industrial complex is out of control.
Posted by: A. Lyons | October 27, 2007 2:37 PM