How to Get Congress to Dump Old U.S. Military Equipment for Good
By
Mackenzie Eaglen
In Washington, it’s easy to blame politicians for being, well, politicians. Defense leaders often decry the parochial interests of elected officials thwarting their plans to get rid of older weapons to free up dollars for reinvestment. This blame is not unfounded, but sometimes Congress has it right. When acting in good faith, Congress contends the services should hang onto old stuff to maintain enough capacity to meet global demand for the United States military.
If Pentagon leaders really want to get to yes with Capitol Hill on divesting equipment, they must first address the underlying problem: an unyielding demand for forces by combatant commanders.
Even as defense leaders call for increased spending on emerging technologies, the services remain busy flying, driving, and sailing presence missions today. Every year, the U.S. military participates in joint exercises with allies and partners, conducts operations, and serves as the nation’s preferred first responder. Combatant commanders have missions to accomplish in their theaters and they need forces from the services to execute those missions.
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/10/how-to-get-congress-to-dump-old-u-s-military-equipment-for-good/
