The Costs Of War Are Beginning To See Daylight
Army Draws Up $11 Billion Wish List To Meet Unfunded Needs
In recent interviews and appearances before Congress, General Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army Chief of Staff, and a military hawk strongly in the Bush entrenchment, cited that 40% of all military equipment (vehicles, tanks, personnel carriers, artillery, etc.) is currently in the Army Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas (or other repair sites), awaiting repair and/or upgrading. The back log of repairs and upgrades is so significant that it is estimated that even if we were to leave Iraq today, it would take 3 to 5 years to catch up with it.
That being the case, we need to take a serious look at our "force readiness" for real situations of defense. We are no longer ready to repel an all out invasion of our shores, nor are we fully capable of protecting our interests in other areas of the world, or even participating fully in a peace keeping mission.
Since the events of 9-11-2001, the Coast Guard has come under scrutiny for its expenditures and waste for its equipment, as well as poor quality workmanship on the ships and boats being produced under its current contract orders. The readiness of the Coast Guard, which is now a division of the dysfunctional Department of Homeland Security, is in serious question. In the middle of the 1990s, the Coast Guard and the US Navy abandoned the so-called Maritime Defense Zone (MARDEZ) assignments and planning for our shores, including the closely planned coordination for Navy, Coast Guard, Marine and National Guard protection of our major cities, including Boston, New York City, Newark, Baltimore, Washington DC, Charleston, Los Angeles, Galveston, New Orleans, Pensacola, San Francisco, etc.
Our Army National Guard forces are significantly depleted because a good number of these units have been federalized and activated for the purposes of Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Somalia, and other active duty assignments. Many Guard units have complained that their troops were called up without adequate time and training to come up to speed with the training and familiarity with current procedures and equipment used by our regular active duty forces. A similar depletion of our homeland defenses exists in the Air National Guard, with many aeromechanics, avionic technicians, supply and logistics personnel, electronic technicians and pilots being called to active duty.
Marine, Navy and Air Force pilots are reporting that they are flying in outdated aircraft and other equipment.
Many of our reserve component members from all four branches of service have been activated to pull active duty billets. The number of recruits--enlisted and officer ranks--is down dramatically and reports indicate that the recent recruiting campaigns are not meeting quotas. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and other military sources are reporting the lowest number of active duty and reserve troops in over 30 years. Those serving in combat zones are pulling watches and missions so frequently that some troops are getting less than four hours of rest per day for 30-90 days consecutively. Additionally, more units are being called upon to extend their tours of duty in Iraq (and/or Afghanistan), are involuntarily having their enlistment or term of service extended, or are involuntarily called back to active duty from the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR).
We can throw into this mix the fact that many of our troops still do not have the proper vehicular armor for the vehicles in which they patrol or execute missions, nor do many have the ceramic inserts for the body armor that protects them from many mortal and disabling injuries. This is still the case DESPITE the fact that both the Army and the Marines indicated that 80% of the deaths and major injuries could be prevented if proper armor was supplied.
Add to all of this is further evidence that we were deliberately duped by the Bush administration into entering Iraq. Despite what some conservative analysts are saying, there can only be one of two conclusions regarding the manner in which President Bush and his gang brought us into Iraq: either he lied to us in a deliberate effort to dupe us (which is where the evidence points us) or the entire civilian, military and intelligence efforts of the Bush administration is incompetent (which is extremely unlikely).
Now comes this report from General Schoomaker for $11 billion for new vehicles and equipment just to bring the Army up to speed to continue the effort in Iraq. This request is just the tip of the funding and refitting iceberg, and it only speaks for the active duty components of the US Army. This $11 billion is in addition to the hundreds of billions we are spending on a regular basis just to be in Iraq in the dysfunctional manner in which we are executing the Bush Doctrine and the numerous reincarnations of the "Stay The Course" plan the Bush administration is executing in Iraq, despite the overwhelming evidence that this approach is not working and never will.
On top of all this information and reports of dysfunction, there are continued reports of corruption, theft and incompetence within the ranks of Iraqi politicians, as well as numerous instances where the Iraqi security, police and military forces are failing to meet the minimum standards of readiness and capability. The numerous criticisms regarding the force expansion in Iraq are further exacerbated when a careful look at the logistics and personnel assignments are examined to reveal that the 21,000 additional troops actually climbs to almost 40,000 when all the parameters are included. Then there are the statements by Bush, Cheney, Rice and others indicating that no matter what the Congress says, "We will not be stopped." (Dick Cheney in an interview on this topic.)
But then again, we are still poised to enter the fray with Iran. Even though there may be validity in the reports that Iran is supplying Shi'ite militias and insurgents with weapons, supplies and money, the manner in which US forces are tackling the problem is in violation of international law, complete disregard of Iraq's sovereignty and right to self-government, and proof that part of the failure in Iraq is directly linked to the continued manipulation and overruling of Iraqi self-governance by US action. While I despise the president of Iran, and find the majority of his statements and arguments to be bogus and baseless, his claims that the US is violating diplomatic immunity and international laws governing the arrest, detention and handling of Iranians legally present in Iraq, in accordance with international and Iraqi laws, are quite valid.
Perhaps we need to consider some genuine alternatives to our current method of dealing with Iraq, our budget and our way of importing the American way of life. Perhaps if we chose a more humane, sane and compassionate way of "exporting democracy," we might have more success, less dysfunction, less fascism and less expense.
RELATED MATTERS:
Measure Seeks To Permanently Correct Military Pay Inequity
Your Money at War: An Editorial Analysis Of How Military Burdens Are Not Equally Shared
It’s the War, Senators: Evidence of Ineffective Efforts To Rein In The Bush Administration
How Not to Inflame Iraq
In recent interviews and appearances before Congress, General Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army Chief of Staff, and a military hawk strongly in the Bush entrenchment, cited that 40% of all military equipment (vehicles, tanks, personnel carriers, artillery, etc.) is currently in the Army Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas (or other repair sites), awaiting repair and/or upgrading. The back log of repairs and upgrades is so significant that it is estimated that even if we were to leave Iraq today, it would take 3 to 5 years to catch up with it.
"We're wearing out helicopters and trucks, Humvees, tanks at rates that are six, eight, 10 times, in some cases, what we're programmed for," Schoomaker, the Army's chief of staff, told members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense on Friday.
That being the case, we need to take a serious look at our "force readiness" for real situations of defense. We are no longer ready to repel an all out invasion of our shores, nor are we fully capable of protecting our interests in other areas of the world, or even participating fully in a peace keeping mission.
Since the events of 9-11-2001, the Coast Guard has come under scrutiny for its expenditures and waste for its equipment, as well as poor quality workmanship on the ships and boats being produced under its current contract orders. The readiness of the Coast Guard, which is now a division of the dysfunctional Department of Homeland Security, is in serious question. In the middle of the 1990s, the Coast Guard and the US Navy abandoned the so-called Maritime Defense Zone (MARDEZ) assignments and planning for our shores, including the closely planned coordination for Navy, Coast Guard, Marine and National Guard protection of our major cities, including Boston, New York City, Newark, Baltimore, Washington DC, Charleston, Los Angeles, Galveston, New Orleans, Pensacola, San Francisco, etc.
Our Army National Guard forces are significantly depleted because a good number of these units have been federalized and activated for the purposes of Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Somalia, and other active duty assignments. Many Guard units have complained that their troops were called up without adequate time and training to come up to speed with the training and familiarity with current procedures and equipment used by our regular active duty forces. A similar depletion of our homeland defenses exists in the Air National Guard, with many aeromechanics, avionic technicians, supply and logistics personnel, electronic technicians and pilots being called to active duty.
Marine, Navy and Air Force pilots are reporting that they are flying in outdated aircraft and other equipment.
Many of our reserve component members from all four branches of service have been activated to pull active duty billets. The number of recruits--enlisted and officer ranks--is down dramatically and reports indicate that the recent recruiting campaigns are not meeting quotas. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and other military sources are reporting the lowest number of active duty and reserve troops in over 30 years. Those serving in combat zones are pulling watches and missions so frequently that some troops are getting less than four hours of rest per day for 30-90 days consecutively. Additionally, more units are being called upon to extend their tours of duty in Iraq (and/or Afghanistan), are involuntarily having their enlistment or term of service extended, or are involuntarily called back to active duty from the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR).
We can throw into this mix the fact that many of our troops still do not have the proper vehicular armor for the vehicles in which they patrol or execute missions, nor do many have the ceramic inserts for the body armor that protects them from many mortal and disabling injuries. This is still the case DESPITE the fact that both the Army and the Marines indicated that 80% of the deaths and major injuries could be prevented if proper armor was supplied.
Add to all of this is further evidence that we were deliberately duped by the Bush administration into entering Iraq. Despite what some conservative analysts are saying, there can only be one of two conclusions regarding the manner in which President Bush and his gang brought us into Iraq: either he lied to us in a deliberate effort to dupe us (which is where the evidence points us) or the entire civilian, military and intelligence efforts of the Bush administration is incompetent (which is extremely unlikely).
Now comes this report from General Schoomaker for $11 billion for new vehicles and equipment just to bring the Army up to speed to continue the effort in Iraq. This request is just the tip of the funding and refitting iceberg, and it only speaks for the active duty components of the US Army. This $11 billion is in addition to the hundreds of billions we are spending on a regular basis just to be in Iraq in the dysfunctional manner in which we are executing the Bush Doctrine and the numerous reincarnations of the "Stay The Course" plan the Bush administration is executing in Iraq, despite the overwhelming evidence that this approach is not working and never will.
On top of all this information and reports of dysfunction, there are continued reports of corruption, theft and incompetence within the ranks of Iraqi politicians, as well as numerous instances where the Iraqi security, police and military forces are failing to meet the minimum standards of readiness and capability. The numerous criticisms regarding the force expansion in Iraq are further exacerbated when a careful look at the logistics and personnel assignments are examined to reveal that the 21,000 additional troops actually climbs to almost 40,000 when all the parameters are included. Then there are the statements by Bush, Cheney, Rice and others indicating that no matter what the Congress says, "We will not be stopped." (Dick Cheney in an interview on this topic.)
But then again, we are still poised to enter the fray with Iran. Even though there may be validity in the reports that Iran is supplying Shi'ite militias and insurgents with weapons, supplies and money, the manner in which US forces are tackling the problem is in violation of international law, complete disregard of Iraq's sovereignty and right to self-government, and proof that part of the failure in Iraq is directly linked to the continued manipulation and overruling of Iraqi self-governance by US action. While I despise the president of Iran, and find the majority of his statements and arguments to be bogus and baseless, his claims that the US is violating diplomatic immunity and international laws governing the arrest, detention and handling of Iranians legally present in Iraq, in accordance with international and Iraqi laws, are quite valid.
Perhaps we need to consider some genuine alternatives to our current method of dealing with Iraq, our budget and our way of importing the American way of life. Perhaps if we chose a more humane, sane and compassionate way of "exporting democracy," we might have more success, less dysfunction, less fascism and less expense.
RELATED MATTERS:
Measure Seeks To Permanently Correct Military Pay Inequity
Your Money at War: An Editorial Analysis Of How Military Burdens Are Not Equally Shared
It’s the War, Senators: Evidence of Ineffective Efforts To Rein In The Bush Administration
How Not to Inflame Iraq
posted by Jim Downey at 8:51 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home