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High and inside.Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that unless Congress passes funding for the Iraq war within days, he will direct the Army and Marine Corps to begin developing plans to lay off employees and terminate contracts early next year.
Gates, who met with members of Congress on Wednesday, said that he does not have the money or the flexibility to move funding around to adequately cover the costs of the continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"There is a misperception that this department can continue funding our troops in the field for an indefinite period of time through accounting maneuvers, that we can shuffle money around the department. This is a serious misconception," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon.
As a result, he said that he is faced with the undesirable task of preparing to cease operations at Army bases by mid-February, and lay off about 100,000 defense department employees and an equal number of civilian contractors. A month later, he said, similar moves would have to be made by the Marines.
Some members of Congress believe the Pentagon can switch enough money to cover the war accounts, Gates said. But he added that he only has the flexibility to transfer about $3.7 billion — which is just one week's worth of war expenses. Lawmakers, he said, may not understand how complicated and restrictive the situation is.
The House on Wednesday passed, 218-203, a $50 billion bill that would pay for the wars but require that troops start to leave Iraq in 30 days.
SECDEF, if you need help on where to start; there are two Congressional districts to go, Rep. Murtha (D PA-12) and Rep. Sestak (D PA-7). We know how they voted.
Real hard. They make you study a lot to learn a language that doesn't have a proper alphabet - and then you have to can your sense of humor. If you don't know exactly what they are saying - it is very hard to fake it.
Hat tip LGF.
Greyhawk got me thinking again about something that has been bothering me for awhile: why has the Medal of Honor become a posthumous award?Especially in an age where any junior officer who does not get a DWI during his first tour gets a NAM, why now do we not have a single MOH given to a living Soldier, Marine, Sailor, or Airman?Don't tell me no one has earned it - many have. Why the disconnect? I am baffled. Some are wondering why there are not more, great question, I want to know why we can't find a reason to give it to someone who has lived. No living person since the Vietnam War.
The system is broken.
Building on the drink-craving-creating Part 1.A few points. - Are these really the top three priorities for a nation involved in a war against a retrograde force bent on killing millions of US citizens on the way to enslaving and/or converting them? - What is the life/work balance of the Army and USMC personnel?
My only response to this is: look at the life/work balance of yourself, the Flag Officers you own paper on, and your Staffs first.
R 241718Z OCT 07
FM COMNAVAIRFOR SAN DIEGO CA
TO ALNAVAIRFOR
NAVAIRES
INFO COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N00//
COMUSFLTFORCOM NORFOLK VA//N00//
COMNAVAIRSYSCOM PATUXENT RIVER MD//N00/AIR6.0// CNATRA CORPUS CHRISTI TX//N00//
BT
UNCLAS PERSONAL FOR ALL AVIATION FLAG OFFICERS, CAGS, COMMODORES AND COMMANDING OFFICERS
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/COMNAVAIRFOR/-/OCT//
SUBJ/PREPARING NAVAL AVIATION LEADERS FOR 21ST CENTURY - RETENTION// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. IN MY FIRST MESSAGE TO THE FORCE AS THE AIR BOSS, I STATED THAT ONE OF OUR PRIMARY IMPERATIVES IS TO CULTIVATE LEADERS WHO POSSESS THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO LEAD NAVAL AVIATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS IS A READINESS ISSUE. OUR MISSION SUCCESS DEPENDS ON US MEETING THIS LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE NOW. THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF THREE MESSAGES THAT ADDRESS SPECIFIC AREAS OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT I WANT YOU AS COMMANDING OFFICERS TO FOCUS ON: RETENTION, DIVERSITY, AND EDUCATION.
2. RETENTION. WE ARE IN A WAR FOR TALENT. IT IS VITAL WE KEEP THE RIGHT PEOPLE WITH THE RIGHT SKILL SETS ON BOARD, SERVING IN THE NAVY, ACTIVE OR RESERVE. AS OUR NAVY ZEROS IN ON THE REDUCED ENDSTRENGTH TARGETS ESTABLISHED FOUR YEARS AGO, IT IS IMPORTANT WE TAKE MEASURES TO ENSURE WE DON'T OVERSHOOT AS WE LEVEL OFF. TO DO THAT, WE MUST ADDRESS BOTH THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL NEEDS OF OUR SAILORS.
A. I CHARGE ALL COMMANDING OFFICERS, COMMAND MASTER CHIEFS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT TEAMS TO EXAMINE AND IMPROVE YOUR CURRENT CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. MENTOR YOUR SAILORS. WE MUST ENSURE WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO HELP OUR PEOPLE MAKE WELL-INFORMED CAREER DECISIONS BASED ON FACTS AND GIVE THEM THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
B. THE CRUX OF ANY SAILOR'S DESIRE TO CONTINUE MILITARY SERVICE IS THE ABILITY TO BALANCE THEIR PERSONAL LIVES WITH THEIR PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. THE NAVY RECENTLY STOOD UP TASK FORCE LIFE/WORK (TFLW) WITH THE MISSION OF DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING WAYS TO ENHANCE LIFE/WORK BALANCE FOR ALL SAILORS. FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE TFLW INTITIATIVES BRIEF FOUND AT HTTP://WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/TASKFORCELIFEWORK/ AND ADVISE YOUR SAILORS OF THE NEW OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM. AS COMMANDERS, YOU SET THE CLIMATE AND MUST FOSTER BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL GROWTH. WORK WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP TO ENGAGE EVERY SAILOR AND OFFICER, EARLY AND OFTEN, TO PULSE HOW WELL THEY ARE MANAGING THEIR CHALLENGING CAREERS WHILE BALANCING THE DEMANDS PLACED ON THEM BY THEIR PERSONAL LIVES.
C. WHEN OUR PEOPLE DO MAKE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO LEAVE ACTIVE DUTY, LEADERSHIP MUST MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE BRIGHTEST AND BEST SAILORS TO TRANSITION TO THE RESERVES. WE MUST UTILIZE OUR ENTIRE CAREER DEVELOPMENT TEAM, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, INCLUDING CAREER COUNSELORS, CARIT TEAMS AND NAVY RECRUITERS, TO FACILITE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND ENSURE WE KEEP OUR SAILORS' TALENT WITHIN THE TOTAL FORCE.
3. THE FORCE OF TOMORROW WILL ONLY BE AS GOOD AS THOSE WHO LEAD IT. WE NEED TO GIVE OUR BEST YOUNG PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUCCEED PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. IF WE DO THAT, THEY WILL CHOOSE TO STAY NAVY, AND WE CAN BE CONFIDENT THEY WILL CARRY ON NAVAL AVIATION'S TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE. I EXPECT YOU AND YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE AND BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR UNIT'S RETENTION.
4. FLY, FIGHT, LEAD. KILLER SENDS.//
People need more sea time.
If anyone has message 2 & 3, send it along. Especially #2.
NB: Is is not a P4 if it is mass emailed. Just a little note there to my fellow staff weenies - but that is just my minority opinion. (I know; everyone gets a trophy and everyone gets to read the P4).
If you aren't reading the regular airpower summary, you are missing proof that those who say stuff like, "That will never happen in the battlefield of the future." are living in a fool's paradise.In Afghanistan, an Air Force B1-B Lancer dropped a guided bomb unit-38 against an enemy fighting position in Gereshk. A direct hit was reported by the on-scene joint terminal attack controller who declared the strike as a success.
...
In Iraq, several GBU-38s and GBU-31s were dropped from a B1-B against structures in Baghdad to deny the enemy further use of the facilities. The JTAC reported the destruction of the targets and assessed the mission as successful.
If you told people in the late '90s that would take happen, they would have downgraded your FITREP. Close air support from a heavy bomber. Cool.
