Spark It Up!!!: The Obama Military Cutback

From Military Families United

Dear Military Families United Member and Supporter,
As you may know, yesterday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates unveiled the budget proposal for our military. While the plan has some positive attributes, such as a commitment to expanding our forces and money for military families and veterans, there are also significant cuts for critical weapons systems. Those programs currently on the chopping block include:

$1.4 billion cut in missile defense spending
Reducing aircraft carriers from 11 to 10 and slowing production of other surface combatants
Delaying amphibious ship programs
Halting the planned increase of ground-based interceptors in Alaska
Canceling a second airborne laser (antimissile) aircraft
Terminating the ground-vehicle element of the Army’s Future Combat Systems
Ending development of a new Air Force search and rescue helicopter
Canceling the development of the next generation strategic bomber
Ending the C-17 transport aircraft
Stopping production of the F-22 at 187 fighters

We at Military Families United have found several key problems with these defense cuts. America’s military is commonly blamed for fighting the last war, but this budget cuts back the future capabilities of the Armed Forces. The capabilities added by the Army’s Future Combat System program and the Navy’s amphibious ships would help the United States in all types of conflicts, all around the world. Cutting the fat in the defense budget is good, but Military Families United hopes that Congress will not cut the bone.
That thinking was what led to our troops having to buy their own armor to go into combat in Afghanistan and a lack of appropriate equipment to fighting the war in Iraq. While we must focus on the wars at hand, some of the cuts will affect what America’s servicemen and servicewomen can do in the future.
This budget will allow American capabilities to stagnate and our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardsmen to continue to use old and out of date equipment like the 1950’s era KC-135 aerial refueling tanker and B-52 bomber. We are especially concerned about the $1.4 billion cut in missile defense spending, which equals 15 percent of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s budget. This drastic cut comes only one day after North Korea conducted what it called a “satellite test,” but what every other country called a test of their long range ballistic missile capabilities. North Korea already has nuclear weapons and they continue to be aggressive and antagonistic towards the community of nations (which includes the United States). The continuation of North Korean missile testing is very dangerous and by cutting the Missile Defense Agency’s funding America is left potentially unprepared for a missile attack.
Sec. Gates’ defense budget must now go to Congress before it can take effect. We need to take action now to protect our homeland and provide the funding that our troops need and deserve. We have produced a web ad about this topic and need your support.
Go to FundOurTroops.org to stand up for our Troops.

Here's the new ad.