Pentagon belt-tightening will cut jobs

[babylonsister]

Pentagon belt-tightening will cut jobs

By ANNE GEARAN and ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writers


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that tough economic times require that he shutter a major command that employs some 5,000 people around Norfolk, Va., and begin to eliminate other jobs throughout the military.

The announcement was the first major step by Gates to find $100 billion in savings in the next five years. Gates says that money is needed elsewhere within the Defense Department to repair a force ravaged by years of war and to prepare troops for the next fight.

The plan prompted swift political pushback from lawmakers fearful that jobs would be lost in their districts.

"At the end of the day, Secretary Gates and his team will have to convince members of this committee that these efforts will not weaken our nation's defense," said Rep. Buck McKeon of California, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, said he could see "no rational basis" for eliminating Norfolk's Joint Forces Command, which was created in 1999 to improve the services' ability to work together and find efficiencies.

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PENTAGON_BUDGET_CUTS?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[n2doc]

1. It's not a "cut"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8909798

But hey, they keep telling us there is no inflation. So why would they have to cut anything with a 1% increase in funding each year?

[Obamanaut]

2. We see similar deceptive wording coming out of congress on a regular basis,

with many things to do with governmental spending - not just military stuff.

[NutmegYankee]

3. Pay and healthcare are rising

The biggest costs in the DOD are Operations and Maintenance, which is increasing due to wear and tear on equipment, and Military personnel, which increases due to pay boosts and healthcare. Both of these are larger than Procurement and RDT&E.