Budget Cuts and Troop Reduction

[SassyLady]

A friend of ours just left last week for Afghanistan and ex is leaving April 1st. So much for reducing and cutting back. I'm sure ex will be ousted when he returns .... he's been active duty since 1986.



Pentagon May Oust Troops Involuntarily to Meet Reductions in Budget Plan


The Defense Department may have to force soldiers, Marines or other members of the military out of the services for the first time since the aftermath of the Cold War to achieve the spending reductions in its budget proposal.
The Pentagon plans to cut 67,100 soldiers from active and reserve Army units and the Army National Guard in the five years starting Oct. 1, as well as 15,200 from the active and reserve ranks of the Marine Corps as part of an effort to save $487 billion over a decade, according to the budget sent to Congress today. The Navy and Air Force would lose fewer people -- 8,600 and 1,700 respectively -- because of their role in a strategic shift toward the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East (http://topics.bloomberg.com/middle-east/).
The military will first try buying out contracts or offering bonuses for people to leave, while working to keep those with valuable specialties such as cyber warfare and acquisitions, according to Travis Sharp, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security (http://www.cnas.org/), a Washington policy group, who attended a Pentagon briefing for analysts last month.
“I was surprised that they were going to complete the reductions to the Army and the Marine Corps in just five years,” Sharp said in an interview before the budget was released. “What they told us is that they will try to use those types of positive incentives to the greatest extent possible, but that involuntary separations would probably still be necessary.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-13/pentagon-may-oust-troops-involuntarily-under-budget-reductions.html


Ten years of pushing, pushing, pushing to recruit and now they are pushing them out. Wonder if any of those being pushed out will get a chance to get their 20 years in.

[ConHog]

A friend of ours just left last week for Afghanistan and ex is leaving April 1st. So much for reducing and cutting back. I'm sure ex will be ousted when he returns .... he's been active duty since 1986.




Ten years of pushing, pushing, pushing to recruit and now they are pushing them out. Wonder if any of those being pushed out will get a chance to get their 20 years in.

I'm not defending kicking people out just shy of retirement by any means, BUT the private sector does this all the time. They get rid of the higher salaried people who have been in place for a long time and move someone in who is less expensive.

And we do all bitch that the government needs to operate more like the private sector don't we?

[SassyLady]

I'm not defending kicking people out just shy of retirement by any means, BUT the private sector does this all the time. They get rid of the higher salaried people who have been in place for a long time and move someone in who is less expensive.

And we do all bitch that the government needs to operate more like the private sector don't we?


I'd rather start reducing Congress and congressional aides before reducing the military. Perhaps if the military had the same medical and retirement system as congress it wouldn't seem as much of a betrayal.


Members become vested in (legally entitled to) a pension benefit under CSRS
or FERS after five years of service. The age and service requirements for retirement
eligibility are determined by the plan under which a Member is covered at the time
of retirement, regardless of whether he or she has previous service covered under a
different plan.

http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30631.pdf

[ConHog]

I'd rather start reducing Congress and congressional aides before reducing the military. Perhaps if the military had the same medical and retirement system as congress it wouldn't seem as much of a betrayal.

You'll receive no argument from me on that front. It's a shame that the military seems to be the sole target of any cutes.

[CSM]

It would be interesting to see a comparison of how much we spend on retirement benefits for veterans vice what we spend for Congressmen who no longer "serve".

[Missileman]

Budget cuts my ass! The Dems are just looking to gut our military. Obama's budget proposal includes another trillion in deficit spending.

[Gunny]

A friend of ours just left last week for Afghanistan and ex is leaving April 1st. So much for reducing and cutting back. I'm sure ex will be ousted when he returns .... he's been active duty since 1986.




Ten years of pushing, pushing, pushing to recruit and now they are pushing them out. Wonder if any of those being pushed out will get a chance to get their 20 years in.

Despite the whines of the left, I'd rather be employed in the Gulf, than "reduced" to taking Obama handouts, bolstering his attempt to make everyone dependent to the His (not the US according to the Constitution) Government.

[pegwinn]

From the first quote in the OP:


"The military will first try buying out contracts or offering bonuses for people to leave, while working to keep those with valuable specialties such as cyber warfare and acquisitions, according to Travis Sharp, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security (http://www.cnas.org/), a Washington policy group, who attended a Pentagon briefing for analysts last month."

I am glad to see an attempt to not totally fuck over the ones who are going to be put out. I knew a lot of Sergeants who used to get forced out on high year tenure. Nothing but a denial of reenlistment and a swift kick out the gate.

[SassyLady]

I'd rather see someone with high year tenure go than someone who isnt even given a chance to reach the twenty year retirement mark simply because of budget cuts. Give the kid a chance to earn what he/she signed up for.

[ConHog]

I'd rather see someone with high year tenure go than someone who isnt even given a chance to reach the twenty year retirement mark simply because of budget cuts. Give the kid a chance to earn what he/she signed up for.

I would like to see the same cuts being made with welfare. Tell some of those bitches 'Sorry, you've been on the dole for ten years, gravy train is over........" Let someone else get a shot at actually using the welfare as help rather than a lifestyle.

[Intense]

I'd rather start reducing Congress and congressional aides before reducing the military. Perhaps if the military had the same medical and retirement system as congress it wouldn't seem as much of a betrayal.

It is a Betrayal. It is also Insane. Is there anything this Administration is not putting at risk and turning on it's head?

[Gunny]

From the first quote in the OP:



I am glad to see an attempt to not totally fuck over the ones who are going to be put out. I knew a lot of Sergeants who used to get forced out on high year tenure. Nothing but a denial of reenlistment and a swift kick out the gate.

Been there, seen that. Was afraid of it at one time.

[ConHog]

It is a Betrayal. It is also Insane. Is there anything this Administration is not putting at risk and turning on it's head?

Unions and black power.

[Gunny]

It is a Betrayal. It is also Insane. Is there anything this Administration is not putting at risk and turning on it's head?

By and large, they'll be fucked over.

[pegwinn]

I'd rather see someone with high year tenure go than someone who isnt even given a chance to reach the twenty year retirement mark simply because of budget cuts. Give the kid a chance to earn what he/she signed up for.

I'm not sure we are not on the same page actually. HYT used to mean that if you didn't make Sergeant in eight years, your ass was kicked to the curb. If you didn't make SSgt in 12 years the same thing happened. Once you made SSgt you had up to the 22 year mark to make GySgt so your pension at least was safe.

Back in the day it was nothing to see a Corporal with two hashmarks and an unblemished record. The cutting scores were out of sight high and if you came up for reenlistment.... too bad. It was informally known as up or out.

I personally made SSgt in ten years flat. That was due to two meritorious promotions putting me ahead of the curve and six years as a Sgt. At that time it was considered walking above the water. The point is, I got lucky. Lots of my peers were put out on the street with three stripes and three hashmarks plus excellent to outstanding fitness reports. There were no monies paid. You simply lost those years of your life and any shot at the pension.

Eventually they started paying the good Marines who were involuntarily separated. But it took a shitstorm of paper to make it happen. For instance, you had to have (in writing) proof you attempted to reenlist, get a waiver to ECFC, and all was denied.

So yeah I am with you on the whole kicking a career oriented servicemember out before they can make a career of it.

[Intense]

By and large, they'll be fucked over.
:eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwuy2t6025k
Brave New World Movie Trailer (Leonard Nimoy)

[Gaffer]

Same thing happened in the carter years. Enlistment bonuses were removed and people were not allowed to reenlist. Gutted the military. Deja vue.