| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Politix |
| (US) Army Orders Commanders to Prepare Cuts |
| 2007-11-29 |
| Army commanders have been ordered to begin calculating budget and personnel cuts as a result of the congressional gridlock over the war spending bill, according to a new memo. The four-page directive, issued by Gen. Richard Cody, the Army Vice Chief of Staff, tells top officers at all Army bases to develop plans to use troops to replace civilians and contractors who may have to be laid off around Feb. 23. The detailed plans are due next Tuesday, according to the memo obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. Because the war funding bill has not been approved, the military is using operations and maintenance money from its 2008 budget for war-related costs. For the Army, those funds will run out in mid-February unless Congress acts. Cody said all military personnel other than those preparing to go to the war zone should be considered available as the civilian substitutes. The memo, issued late Monday night, tells commanders to calculate the weekly costs of the minimum essential operations that could continue under emergency procedures if all money for operations is exhausted. Those essential costs could include activities: - to protect national security, Cody also told commanders they should plan to suspend all maintenance that is not necessary to support warfighting. And he said they should expect the Pentagon to send layoff notices that would be effective on Feb. 23. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #14 Good. I can think of several contractors I'd like you to terminate. Both defence and remodeling. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-11-29 18:12 |
| #13 Besoeker, there is no problem terminating contracts nor contractors. I speak from experience. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-11-29 15:59 |
| #12 Look at the bright side - it could always be used as a civil-service bottom-blow* *steam propulsion slang - it's when a boiler is cleared (blown) to get rid of muck, sediment and other things that collect at the bottom. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-11-29 15:29 |
| #11 Cut all funding to the dhimocrat's states that are holding up funds for government contracts, effective immediately. Where is your Pork now, Senator? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-11-29 14:52 |
| #10 How about we start by pulling non-essential personnel, both civilian and uniformed out of Korea and Germany. I think DoD will have a bit of a problem with cancelling or suspending contracts and laying off contractors. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2007-11-29 14:37 |
| #9 Concur with the previous statements; Mrs. Ret is a DOD (navy) civvie and if she gets laid off, then life will be miserable for anybody with a (D) after their name come election time. Of course until then, my life will be miserable so I will also be looking to pull the anti-(D) lever also, and as frequently as possible. |
| Posted by: USN,Ret. 2007-11-29 13:55 |
| #8 Do the democrats have a suicide wish? Yes. I would think that had become obvious by now. They have a suicide wish, and, they would like the rest of us to join them. Maybe would should assist them in their exit. |
| Posted by: Chinter Platypus8843 2007-11-29 13:36 |
| #7 Sorry state of affairs we find ourselves in. One of our own major political parties is sabotaging our own military ... and they would want us to vote them into office? Somehow I think they are causing exactly the opposite to happen. I would suggest that California and Nevada be the states that experience the most dramatic cutbacks. Pelosi and Reid started this, Pelosi and Reid can wallow in the result. Start cutting off the money to their constituents first. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2007-11-29 12:53 |
| #6 When reading articles like this one and the others today about CNN's inept use of plants at the Dem and Republican debates, I feel a real sense of hope for the country. It just seems that the Dems are failing and failing badly. It's like they have no one with any brains in charge. Granted, the entire Clinton presidency was like that. It was nothing but a bunch of hacks and hangers-on who were promoted to positions not because they were qualified, but because they were willing to prostrate themselves and slobber all over the Clintons. They were able to succeed then because the media could cover for them. It's like they are still attempting to play 20th Century politics in a 21st century world. I think their reign of intimidation is over. |
| Posted by: Whomong Guelph4611 2007-11-29 12:18 |
| #5 Do the democrats have a suicide wish? This is not going to play well with anyone but their lunatic base who they already have in the bag. The military members and their families will be ticked. The civilian DOD's will be worried (many who are liberal). The entire military industrial complex corps will not be pleased. The general population will be annoyed at the gridlock and outraged at the denying troops what they need. The Republican candidates can be the only ones who think this is a great idea. Is Karl Rove back at work? |
| Posted by: Whomong Guelph4611 2007-11-29 12:12 |
| #4 Fire every DOD civilian you can. Washington DC is under notice. Maybe I'm dense, but WTF is all that supposed to mean? Is there a militia-counterpart to JM in the Chicago area or sumptin'? |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-11-29 11:53 |
| #3 Fire every DOD civilian you can. Washington DC is under notice. |
| Posted by: newc 2007-11-29 08:30 |
| #2 I think that is part of the problem gorb. If we were offering salaries of around a mil a year, we'd get a better selection of options than the clowns we usually see at election time. At a mil a year how many people would do a 'Hillary' and move into districts like that of Refrigerator Johnson for a shot at the seat? Cody said all military personnel other than those preparing to go to the war zone should be considered available as the civilian substitutes. That breaks soldiers. It's like using school teachers to do road patch work around the town. It'll move them out faster than an IED. The Army doesn't have a problem to get guys to sign up and reenlist in the combat skills, but turn around and put them out there doing 'Beetle Bailey' chores and that's going to make it a one tour stint. Not only that, but the Donks will use that as a starting point to both justify using troops for civic action labor back home and to rationalize their cutting future outlays because the troops can do these jobs [but won't have time to train and shoot.] We saw what happened to support troops, who prior to 2003, didn't receive adequate training in combat. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-11-29 08:18 |
| #1 Too bad there isn't a way to tie congressional salaries to passing this bill. |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-11-29 04:17 |