The Briefing Room
General Category => Politics/Government => Topic started by: mystery-ak on December 08, 2016, 09:00:35 pm
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Senate passes defense bill setting stage for Trump buildup
By Connor O’Brien and Austin Wright
12/08/16 01:40 PM EST
Defense hawks are ready to celebrate: After eight years of battling efforts by the White House to downsize the Pentagon, they’re confident a military buildup is about to begin under President-elect Donald Trump.
The Senate on Thursday sent President Barack Obama the last defense policy bill of his presidency — but it’s a measure that looks ahead to the next administration, setting the stage for a major boost in military spending.
The Senate voted 92 to 7 to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act, a $619 billion Pentagon budget blueprint for the current fiscal year that halts a drawdown in the size of the Army and Marine Corps and overturns Pentagon plans to close military bases. The bill passed the House last week, also with an overwhelming, veto-proof vote.
more
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/defense-bill-passed-senate-232364
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War is on the horizon, with iran, syria and north korea.
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Before they start celebrating too much they need to repeal the Obama edict that every dollar of new spending for defense is tied to the same amount of increase in Welfare spending.
That and get us out of this damn sequester capped budget BS. Defense is the only part of the budget that's been forced to adhere to it IIRC.
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Before throwing more money at the Pentagon, how about reforming the acquisition process. We don't need separate bureaucracies for the four branches of the military.
Our doctrine has moved to combined arms operations, based on the mission. Why can't we apply that to logistics?
I say that as one who served on AF tac fighter bases in Germany, while serving as an Army ADA Officer. In my last job as Battalion S-4, I was designated the point man during renewal of the Interservice Support Agreements. There wasn't really that much to negotiate, but I was a "mere" First LT at the time, albeit one with an accounting degree whose thesis was on Defense Contract Accounting (talk about b-o-r-I-n-g).
It was a great job, no one screwed with me, except for my XO and Battalion CO, and I deserved it on those rare occasions.
They backed me every time I got into it with Group (higher HQ) staff, particularly at budget time. Majors and LTC's didn't like being told they were wrong by an LT, but I was respectful.