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Return to Article: Army seeks to shift funds to bolster Future Combat Systems effort

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  Yes, civilians make the policy while the military carry out those policies; but communications must flow between the two. This is the strength of our country, and the reason we aren't ruled by a junta like so many of the southern continental countries. The biggest problem of this conflict arose when the POTUS decided to listen to his ex-SecDef, Rummy instead of the generals on the How-To. His choice was to update the military instead of growing it, and smack dab in the middle of a conflict. As most military understand, but few civilians can comprehend, the middle of a fire fight is seldom the time to commit to new untried tactics; except as a last resort. Failure to grow the armed forces starting in 2003 has kept us at a numerically smaller (and disadvantaged) force than is now needed, led to less technical training for the world's most technologically oriented superpower, and the undo stress of extended and all too frequent deployments for active and reserve forces.

  But then folks like Skeeter would rather look to the non-conflict eras of force contraction for blame. I'm often surprised with such rear looking vision that no one has pointed out the deep reductions we had under Tricky Dick after the 'Nam. How far back are we going to reset the clock to point the fickle finger of fate as soldiers continue to fall?

  With limited funds and extensive tax cuts, are we to choose recruitment or weapons' research and development as our priorities? Equipment resets are necessary for our troops. More troops are necessary for our troops. But unproven technology, like that trip to Mars, can wait just a little bit until this crisis has passed. But then, we're just throwing paper money at the problem anyway, so why not use a wheel barrow instead of a shovel?

  Tip off Posted April 21, 2008 10:15 AM
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  Congress is an expert in what the military needs, so if they say the Army doesn't need it then they don't Who would you trust Congress or the GI's fighting

  dan ketter Posted April 16, 2008 11:24 AM
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  From our Congress and President - Support the Troops, Support the Troops!!! Oops, this program to make our troops safer is too expensive in a time of war, we can't afford it. Weellll, these items that would save the lives of our troops in combat are too expensive, let them do without! We had to go to war to protect our citizens from their weapons of mass destruction - oooppppsssss.

  Let's face it, the President and Congress are great at wanting US to support our troops, but where are they when the chips are down? Mr. President, you can have a war, or you can have tax cuts, but you can't have both. Congress, you can have a strong military, or it can be too expensive, but you can't have both.

  Mr. President and Congress, you can have a strong economy, or you can have jobs being out-sourced to other countries and a weak dollar, but you can't have both. A company's stocks might go up, but that no longer reflects the American economy, since what that company manufactures is no longer built in the United States.

  Larry R. Doane Posted April 16, 2008 8:56 AM