Adios JFCOM...

[ClearedHot]

Gates to kill JFCOM

[Spoo]

Linky no worky.

[Toro]

Stars and Stripes link

While I'll hold my opinion on the cutting of the command, I will say that it's refreshing that we're finally taking aim at budget target that will actually make a difference rather than trying to nickle and dime massive amounts of smaller areas.

[ol-IEWO]

Linky no worky.

http.com//www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/09/gates-cut-major-military-command-norfolk-officials-say/

edit: sp

Edited August 9, 2010 by ol-IEWO

[ClearedHot]

From the man;

1. Cut services and support contractors by 10% a year, for the next three years.

2. Freeze on size of OSD/COCOM staffs for the next three years.

3. Freeze number of General Officers and Senior Executives at FY10 levels. Tasked DOD to provide plan by 1 November to eliminate 50 General Officer positions and 150 Senior Executive positions.

4. Consolidate all DOD IT services.

5. Freeze the number of DOD studies at FY10 level and develop plan to cut number of studies by 25%.

6. Review of all outside boards and commissions, as well as cut their budget by 25%.

7. Cut DOD intel functions by 10%.

8.

a. NII and J-6 go away, functions transferred to AT&L.

b. Cut Business Transformation Agency.

c. Close JFCOM, JT Staff to assume duties.

[DFRESH]

How else are we gonna afford free health care for all the poor people?

[Royal]

How else are we gonna afford free health care for all the poor people?

We're going to spend our way to free health care. Just like we're taking care of illegal immigration by leaving the borders wide open. Reverse psychology.

He acknowledged the economic impact the closure could have for thousands of workers in the Norfolk region, but stood by his decision as a critical step in bringing defense spending under control.

How is this not an item of concern for him when he works for an administration that is about to fight tooth and nail to pass a $26 billion teacher jobs bill?

"Yeah, we've got to cut $240 million in defense spending, but we need to add $26 billion to the budget...But don't you worry, my precious snowflakes, it's already paid for. We promise."

Maybe everyone getting ousted in Norfolk can become a teacher...It'll be easy: just pass a $150 billion government employee cross training bill. Budget rescued, problem solved.

[DFRESH]

Didn't mean to thread hijack, but I recall a certain document allowing for federal common defense and promoting general welfare... This just seems like robbing one to pay for an obscured view of the other.

[joe1234]

Didn't mean to thread hijack, but I recall a certain document allowing for federal common defense and promoting general welfare... This just seems like robbing one to pay for an obscured view of the other.

Ah yes, the thin line between order and worldwide anarchy hinges on the robustness of our Joint Forces Command.

[Guest Raptor08]

I'm starting to think Obama and Gates don't even want a military. Why not just retire everything and simply "talk" our way out of all future conflicts? [/sarcasm]

[DFRESH]

Ah yes, the thin line between order and worldwide anarchy hinges on the robustness of our Joint Forces Command.

This goes a lot farther than the title of the thread.

[zmoney]

I'm starting to think Obama and Gates don't even want a military. Why not just retire everything and simply "talk" our way out of all future conflicts? [/sarcasm]

1. President Obama and Secretary Gates have increased troop levels in Afghanistan from 26,500 (in May 2006) to 68,000 (current) (over double).

2. They both have also increased the number of predator drone attacks both in country (Iraq & Afghanistan) and out (Pakistan).

-- Indeed, lately these strikes have stirred up quite a bit of controversy: Does the president have the power to execute a targeted killing on a U.S. Citizen abroad without due process? Can he authorize the military (or CIA) to terminate a person without knowing their name? The former is still being debated. The latter has occurred and will continue to occur.

EDIT: I should say: Can the president authorize those killings OUTSIDE a warzone (ie: Pakistan). Obviously war is war, but we're not at war with Pakistan...

3. President Obama (like his predecessor) has not vetoed a defense spending bill that contained a raise greater than the ECI (Employment Cost Index) when congress presented it to him. In other words, the military has enjoyed a raise 0.5% greater than inflation in the years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009.

Bottom Line: I haven't seen much information about President Obama reducing the military in any significant manner. In fact, this is the FIRST article I've seen that includes any major cuts. In many aspects he has EXPANDED the use of the military.

To the few that knocked the health care bill (not you Raptor08): As far as health care, when you have a family member that requires significant long term care and witness first hand how much that care costs, you'll better understand why we needed SOME sort of health care reform... Is the legislation perfect? ###### no... Hardly any piece of legislation is (at least the 500+ page shits that congress tends too poop out nowadays). But, at least it is a start!

Some interesting links:

Death and Taxes (a poster describing the federal budget): http://www.deathandtaxesposter.com/

Immigration Cartoon (a cartoon describing the immigration process): http://img693.imageshack.us/i/immigration764383.jpg/

Just some food for thought. I know Death and Taxes is fairly accurate. As far as that immigration cartoon, I haven't fact checked it.

Edited August 9, 2010 by zmoney

[nsplayr]

Kill me, another informative thread turned political debate turned Obama bash-fest.

Closing JFCOM is interesting news...thanks for the link CH et. al.

[HiFlyer]

Kill me, another informative thread turned political debate turned Obama bash-fest.

Closing JFCOM is interesting news...thanks for the link CH et. al.

It ain't dead yet. There is a lot of Congressional battles to be fought on this one!

[Champ Kind]

As far as health care, when you have a family member that requires significant long term care and witness first hand how much that care costs, you'll better understand why we needed SOME sort of health care reform... Is the legislation perfect? ###### no... Hardly any piece of legislation is (at least the 500+ page shits that congress tends too poop out nowadays). But, at least it is a start!

Well put.

[disgruntledemployee]

Its about time Jiffycom went away. Its like the "Tops in Blue" of the COCOMs...flashy jazz hands and no substance. Sure, all the politicians will throw a fit, but they don't understand what they do (hell, most of us don't even know) and just how wasteful they are. And don't even make this about Obama...its all about using a little common sense when looking at our business. Put it to you this way, would you rather lose jiffycom or "name your airplane" program? Now as for the people, the military will go elsewhere and do better, more important military things. The civilians, well thats a mixed bag of retire, go work for someone else, or relocate to another civ job. The contractors, well they're SOL, and there's more of them than the rest.

[nsplayr]

Along these lines, can someone explain to a young, naive guy why we still have numbered air forces??

[MilitaryToFinance]

8.

a. NII and J-6 go away, functions transferred to AT&L.

This is the greatest news I've seen in a long time. In all my visits to OSD we've consistently had headaches and complaints from people at NII who think they are experts but don't have a clue.

[SuperWSO]

I haven't always been a fan of some of SECDEFs recent decisions, but there are a few here that seem like a good start.

From the man;

2. Freeze on size of OSD/COCOM staffs for the next three years.

3. Freeze number of General Officers and Senior Executives at FY10 levels. Tasked DOD to provide plan by 1 November to eliminate 50 General Officer positions and 150 Senior Executive positions.

Has anyone here thought we were being held back by an OSD staff that was too small (STS)? Its not the size of the staff, its what you do with it. Similarly, is anyone here below the rank of O-6 complaining about a lack of GO's? SES's?

4. Consolidate all DOD IT services.

This one probably will be the toughest to make happen. Are you going to make all IT Joint, all contractor (unlikely given #1) On the positive side, it might help provide a more coherent network defense across DoD, and it would be difficult to make the current support for the user worse.

5. Freeze the number of DOD studies at FY10 level and develop plan to cut number of studies by 25%.

6. Review of all outside boards and commissions, as well as cut their budget by 25%.

I have never seen a study that reached a surprising conclusion or improved the quality of my job/life. For #6, if the AF Uniform board is one of the boards and commissions cut, I'll buy the first round. Imagine the improvement in combat capability if we just quit redesigning the service dress jacket.

All in all, it looks like it will suck to be a contractor at Jiffycom, but maybe we can buy a few spare airplane parts.

[PapaJu]

Good call.

[Majestik Møøse]

Along these lines, can someone explain to a young, naive guy why we still have numbered air forces??

As another new guy, I'd like to know as well. It seems like for every 06 and above there's half a dozen guys whose only job is preparing briefings for their boss. Not to mention when said DV decides to take a stroll around base and every office comes to a complete standstill to Windex the desks and put on reflector belts. After which, of course, the DV is running late and decides to skip the base tour and go play golf instead.

Streamlining the command structure seems like a good idea to me. Unless the idea is to provide redundancy in case of a nuclear war. That I could understand, but something tells me it wasn't by design.

[Hacker]

There are a number of things that Sec Gates has done that I don't agree with, but FINALLY here is someone with the stones to cut needless bureaucracy, even if it's just for the financial benefits. There's certainly a lot more that could be cut in this same manner, but what a great start.

[GrndPndr]

Virginia is Scrambling to minimize the impact...

Story

Richmond, Va. --

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, recommending hard-times spending and job cuts for the Pentagon, is targeting a command center in South Hampton Roads that employs about 6,300 people and spends nearly $704 million a year.

The plan to shutter the entire U.S. Joint Forces Command, which Gov. Bob McDonnell and Virginia's congressional delegation are vowing to stop, is part of an effort by the Obama administration to reduce military spending by $100 billion during the next five years.

"There are no sacred cows," Gates told a Pentagon news conference yesterday, according to The Associated Press.

The Republican McDonnell; Sens. Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner, both Democrats; and House members from both parties attacked the recommendation. They said closing the command, which has offices in Norfolk and Suffolk, not only would cost jobs but also is strategically unwise.

"We are now seeing the piecemeal auctioning off of the greatest military the world has ever known," said Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-4th, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He joined McDonnell and fellow congressional representatives from Hampton Roads at Old Dominion University to protest the decision.

Coming amid a sour economy and a sharp focus by state politicians on job creation, the Gates cuts include a 10 percent reduction in Pentagon contracts; a three-year employment freeze at defense agencies; and the elimination over two years of 50 general or flag-officer positions and 150 civilian executive jobs.

The Joint Forces Command, which trains troops from all services to work together on specific missions, recently was identified by defense-industry executives who advise the Pentagon as contributing to bloat in agency contracting.

According to the command's website, 3,300 people -- more than half its payroll of 6,324 -- are private contractors. The agency, spread over 1 million square feet in Norfolk and Suffolk, has 1,491 military employees and 1,533 civilian workers.

The agency's economic impact is magnified by its ties to Virginia research centers and public universities, including ODU in Norfolk and George Mason University in Fairfax. The command opened 13 years ago.

"The military loves that area, and the area loves the military," Webb, a former Navy secretary and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in Petersburg yesterday when asked about the proposed closing.

Warner, in a written statement, said the Joint Forces Command promotes cooperation among competing military services and investment in high-tech businesses that support the agency.

"In the business world, you sometimes have to spend money in order to save money," he said.

At his news conference, Gates said he was confident Congress would back the cost-savings effort, which he described as necessary to refit the military after years of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Washington Post quoted Gates as saying Virginia might offset the loss of the Joint Forces Command with billions more for Navy shipbuilding, a bulwark for Northrop Grumman's giant yard in Newport News.

McDonnell; Forbes; Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-1st; Rep. Glenn Nye, D-2nd; Rep. Robert C. Scott, D-3rd; Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim; and Suffolk Mayor Linda T. Johnson appeared at a hastily called news conference at ODU.

The House members promised to use their seats on the Armed Services and Budget committees to save the Joint Forces Command.

"We certainly will have something to say about a decision like this," said Nye, a member of the Armed Services Committee.

McDonnell, meanwhile, issued an executive order creating a 25-member commission to examine more fully the impact of military spending on Virginia.

FM

[nsplayr]

It's too bad all my VA people wanna play politics but then again, they're politicians. This is up to the minute proof why big defense contractors source parts and build equipment across 48 states in order to maintain Congressional support. Yea, jobs will be lost and that's tough in this type of economy, but I've always maintained that the DoD shouldn't be a federal jobs program, it should be about giving the forward-deployed commander the right tools, the right strategic guidance, and the right amount of troops and capabilities in reserve back home in order to carry out our national objectives. Screw jobs, being fair, everyone feeling important, etc.

[PapaJu]

It's too bad all my VA people wanna play politics but then again, they're politicians. This is up to the minute proof why big defense contractors source parts and build equipment across 48 states in order to maintain Congressional support. Yea, jobs will be lost and that's tough in this type of economy, but I've always maintained that the DoD shouldn't be a federal jobs program, it should be about giving the forward-deployed commander the right tools, the right strategic guidance, and the right amount of troops and capabilities in reserve back home in order to carry out our national objectives. Screw jobs, being fair, everyone feeling important, etc.

+1. A lot of the government has become a jobs program, unfortunately.