- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 430
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/opinion/13tues1.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=print
November 13, 2007
Editorial
Structural Failures
The recent crash of an Air Force F-15 fighter jet — and the grounding of the entire 700-plane fleet as a precautionary measure — is the latest reminder of the tough military budget choices this country will face for the foreseeable future. Even if American troops were withdrawn from Iraq tomorrow, billions of dollars would still be needed to replenish military equipment, swap aging weapons systems for new ones and rebuild and expand ground forces strained to the breaking point by this misguided war.
After years of signing blank checks to the Pentagon, the next president and Congress will also have to insist on a serious review of what is truly needed to protect the country from a new generation of threats — and not just line the pockets of contractors and their lobbyists.
Although the crash in Missouri on Nov. 2 is still being studied, initial reports suggest that the plane suffered structural failure and disintegrated in the air. That F-15 was built in 1980, but some of the planes in the fleet are more than 30 years old. The problem is that the Air Force’s chosen replacement, the F-22 stealth fighter, is both extremely expensive and already out of date — designed originally for air-to-air combat against Soviet style MIG fighters during the cold war.
American taxpayers have a right to insist that the Pentagon make sounder choices in the future.
The most immediate problem is digging out from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army has borne much of the burden, and it will need a lot of help to replace war-worn equipment and replenish a strained and war-weary force.
As it has struggled to meet recruiting targets, the Army has had to compromise personnel standards. Last year, 15 percent of recruits needed waivers because they didn’t meet requirements on education, medical and lack of a criminal record. That number has risen to 18 percent so far this year. Meanwhile, a large percentage of West Point graduates — the elite corps from which Army officers are drawn — are leaving active duty as soon as their required time is up.
Exploding health care expenses for returning veterans and what many servicemen and officers see as a crisis of confidence in military leadership add to the challenges going forward. The Navy and Marine Corps also have their own replacement and modernization problems. The Army and the Marines, having carried these wars, deserve to have their needs addressed first.
The United States has spent a staggering $800 billion just on war fighting since Sept. 11, 2001. President Bush has no plan for rebuilding the force, beyond asking for ever more cash.
The presidential candidates will have to do a better job. They can start by explaining how they plan to withdraw American troops from Iraq and then how they plan to rebuild a military capable of defending this country from a new generation of threats.
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
November 13, 2007
Editorial
Structural Failures
The recent crash of an Air Force F-15 fighter jet — and the grounding of the entire 700-plane fleet as a precautionary measure — is the latest reminder of the tough military budget choices this country will face for the foreseeable future. Even if American troops were withdrawn from Iraq tomorrow, billions of dollars would still be needed to replenish military equipment, swap aging weapons systems for new ones and rebuild and expand ground forces strained to the breaking point by this misguided war.
After years of signing blank checks to the Pentagon, the next president and Congress will also have to insist on a serious review of what is truly needed to protect the country from a new generation of threats — and not just line the pockets of contractors and their lobbyists.
Although the crash in Missouri on Nov. 2 is still being studied, initial reports suggest that the plane suffered structural failure and disintegrated in the air. That F-15 was built in 1980, but some of the planes in the fleet are more than 30 years old. The problem is that the Air Force’s chosen replacement, the F-22 stealth fighter, is both extremely expensive and already out of date — designed originally for air-to-air combat against Soviet style MIG fighters during the cold war.
American taxpayers have a right to insist that the Pentagon make sounder choices in the future.
The most immediate problem is digging out from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army has borne much of the burden, and it will need a lot of help to replace war-worn equipment and replenish a strained and war-weary force.
As it has struggled to meet recruiting targets, the Army has had to compromise personnel standards. Last year, 15 percent of recruits needed waivers because they didn’t meet requirements on education, medical and lack of a criminal record. That number has risen to 18 percent so far this year. Meanwhile, a large percentage of West Point graduates — the elite corps from which Army officers are drawn — are leaving active duty as soon as their required time is up.
Exploding health care expenses for returning veterans and what many servicemen and officers see as a crisis of confidence in military leadership add to the challenges going forward. The Navy and Marine Corps also have their own replacement and modernization problems. The Army and the Marines, having carried these wars, deserve to have their needs addressed first.
The United States has spent a staggering $800 billion just on war fighting since Sept. 11, 2001. President Bush has no plan for rebuilding the force, beyond asking for ever more cash.
The presidential candidates will have to do a better job. They can start by explaining how they plan to withdraw American troops from Iraq and then how they plan to rebuild a military capable of defending this country from a new generation of threats.
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
