Parked around the Lackland Air Force Base runway more than a dozen large-scale C-5A Galaxy transport aircraft. Do not have the money to fly, fix them or the pilot in the cockpit, but Congress rejected the Air Force competition, they retired.
Thus, every now and then, the crew will drag a bit to ensure that the tire does not rot in Texas on the tarmac, and then send them back to exile, until they can finally get the license submitted to the resting place of the aging aircraft around the aircraft.
It is not a strange story.
Idle aircraft and deployment the expensive boats stressed Congress ordered the Pentagon to cut spending of $ 48.7 billion, in the next 10 years and $ 4.1 billion in the next six months $ contradictions and conflicts. However, at the same time, legislators are forcing service, to maintain ships, aircraft, military bases, retiree benefits and defense leaders insist that they do not want other programs that can not afford, or impossible to use. The Associated Press, a senior military leaders involved in the ongoing budget and analysis of the data of its services and the costs and procedures of the Department of Defense documents prepared.
The Pentagon and Congress of long-term operations in politically sensitive spending cuts. But this year, military officials said, Congress refused to ships and aircraft retirement means that the Navy and the Air Force to spend about 50 billion U.S. dollars, more than they, if they were allowed to cut. In some cases, Congress recovery funds to compensate for the change, but the overall result is lost savings.
In other cases, the frustrated military leaders quietly complain that they are forced to leave civilians, Air Force flight training ground, and to postpone or cancel the ship deployed to the Middle East and South America, and Congress refused to accept savings in other places, you can alleviate these great pains.
Along the eastern seaboard, two Navy cruiser - USS Anzio in Norfolk, Virginia and USS Vicksburg, Florida Mayport - scheduled to retire this year, but now sitting on the embankment. Navy leaders will soon ship arrangements for major repairs, and began to prepare their staff, so that they can re-enter the service.
In short, Congress required the Navy to maintain seven cruisers and two amphibious ships, eliminating $ 4.3 billion U.S. dollars in the next two years it will be possible to save for retirement.
"A lot of it comes down to narrow political interests," said Todd Harrison, a senior fellow of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. "Members of Congress to close the base in the region or move out of their area with a fighter squadron."
Members of the U.S. Congress, they think sometimes bad decisions in the Pentagon and other times may deliberately broad support for the program.
Course, has been a model, they have to cut the Guard and reserve place, which is obviously unwise and the steps of the U.S. Congress the money Rep. Michael Turner said: "R-Ohio, chairman of the House Armed Services air ground Force Subcommittee.
Seek retired seven of the Navy, the Air Force would like to save more than 60 billion U.S. dollars to retire C-130 and C-5A cargo aircraft, three B-1 bombers and 18 high Global Hawk high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
Congress does not agree to join the Navy and the Air Force's various requirements to maintain ships and aircraft, and in some cases, increasing capital budget to cover them. 15 C-5A Galaxy is no longer set for retirement Lachlan, 11 in Martinsburg, West Virginia and Air Force National Guard aircraft flying.
A senior Air Force official said the service, it does not need all the aging aircraft. Push it to the Global Hawk, because of cuts in defense officials of the U-2 spy plane, the first production of more than 50 years ago, more suitable for high-altitude surveillance job will cost less money.
The official also pointed out that lawmakers rejected the plan and retirement Galaxy aircraft, Congress proprietary to add back the money to pay for fuel or manpower to fly them. Similarly, the three B-1 bombers will enter the backup status, may not frequently used. The official was not authorized to talk publicly about the budget, so requested anonymity.
However, the decision to block some of the C-130 retirement reveals how to narrow, but the key political interests. Pennsylvania members of Congress last month to declare victory, they reversed the decision to retire eight C-130 and 911 Airlift Wing Close near Pittsburgh. Local officials and business owners believe that the base at the Pittsburgh International Airport, the use of space, the promotion of an economic society as a whole.
Republican Senator Pat Toomey and Bob Casey, the Democratic Party, lobbying Pentagon leaders and senior members of Congress, to keep the wing. They then Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in the letter, "The 911 is a very efficient and cost-effective installation, close it may be a waste of taxpayer money.
Pentagon officials have also been costly and underutilized military facilities across the country in a broader effort to close defeat. Congress rejected the request of the department last year to close the base two, as members of Congress against not only a region's economic outlook for the dollar, but also questioned, shut down facilities achieve the promised savings.
Pentagon budget director Robert Hale acknowledged earlier this month, the department in 2005 to spend $ 3.5 billion on the basis of closure round, and it can save $ 4 billion dollars a year, government officials will not break even until 2018. Costs mainly because of the completion of the new facilities, and even some merger and off.
Unfortunately, history has taught us emphasize that there is no "off base wheels provide quick savings?" Said Congressman Rob Whitman, R-VA, the Base Realignment and close the program, at a recent hearing . "I believe that the positive development of the BRAC round could seriously harm our military strength and the ability to project power."
Currently, the department saves about $ 80 billion a year in 2005 before four. The Pentagon has proposed in 2014, a new round of Hale says will save $ 1 billion to 20 billion U.S. dollars a year. Pentagon leaders insisted that the military is still nearly 20% too many bases and facilities.
"Excess infrastructure," Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army, told the House Armed Services Committee last month. "I just (base), 800 buildings, we use 300."
Perhaps history's most significant cost savings against the Congress passed the downsizing of military forces retirement benefits, including the Pentagon's efforts to increase premiums or co-payments for retirees recommendations.
"I think what it is, will change in Congress is a misconception," Harrison said. Changes in veterans' benefits, they tend to think of the changes in retirement benefits. "
However, the changes will only affect retiree health care service members who stay in the military long enough to qualify for retirement, and those who are usually more senior officers already have a higher income of approximately 17%. Veterans' Benefits, and more often to help those low-income, they are included in the budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs, not the Pentagon.
Turner off the leadership of the department some of the problems with the broader issues.
"I think the policy changes you need a more comprehensive approach, the Pentagon usually do not engage in a discussion of Congress looking to cut or program changes to their missile Congress to deal with, instead of using a consideration."
Harrison said the Pentagon needs to do a better job explain politically unpopular spending cuts and sales of its parameters.
"If you actually try to do the smart targeted reduction, such as base closures, reduced the size of the labor force actually like, cut winners and losers," Harrison said. "Congress has been willing to make the tough decisions."
Therefore, he said, the legislators to take a broader, comprehensive cuts, such as vacation.
Beyond evenly spread the pain, "he said. "So, everyone can wash their hands."
 



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