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Retired Three-Star General Describes the Impact of Increased Fiscal Contraints on the Department of Defense

Heritage Video: General Describes the Impact of Increased Fiscal Contraints on the Department of Defense

Earlier this month The Blaze published part one of the Heritage Foundation‘s three-part video series during “Protect America Month 2012,” profiling stories of courage that showcase why we must commit to protecting the United States in an increasingly dangerous world. In the first video, Iraq War veteran Col. Kerry Kachejian described making his way around Iraq at the height of the raging insurgency while driving in an unarmored SUV. The latest video features David A. Deptula, a retired three-star general, describing how fiscal contraints on the Department of Defense have left fighter jets in service more than twice as long as orignal designed for. A close example for Deptula is the F-15 he flew himself for the first time in 1977, that his son Lt. David A. Deptula II now flies at Kadena Air Force Base in Japan.

“We have really flown these aircraft well beyond what originally would be believed as their replacement lifetime,” Deptula said of the F-15s. “And now, because of some of the fiscal constraints that are being imposed on the Department of Defense, there is consideration being given to extending the lifetime even further.”

Fiscal constraints like the $492 billion of mandatory defense cuts on the horizon.

“I hear people talk about, well you know, the U.S. military spends more money than the next 17 nations combined,” Deptula said. “Well, the next 17 nations combined are not committed to maintaining peace and stability around the world. We are.”

Heritage Video: General Describes the Impact of Increased Fiscal Contraints on the Department of Defense

The president’s final budget request of his first term calls for $1.2 trillion in automatic 10-year spending cuts, half of which come from military programs, to kick in next January unless the White House and Congress agree to alternative savings. On Friday House Republicans voted to authorize $642.5 billion in defense and war spending next year, defying the president‘s veto threat by exceeding his budget’s Pentagon funding request by several billion dollars. Watch the latest installment of the Heritage Foundation series below:

Comments (28)

  • justice41
    Posted on May 20, 2012 at 6:29pm

    I also saw waste in the military during my service, I also saw many dedicated men and women trying their best to faithfully serve our nation. Remember, it is politicians that control the money and force the military to spend money on equipment and services that they neither want nor need. When something good comes along, the politicians want to subcontract pieces of the program to businesses in their district whether the business is qualified or not. Politicians control where the military maintains bases here and overseas. I have met individuals in the military that by reason of sentiment and psychology have no business serving. Politics plays too large a role in who is promoted or not. Still, we have the best military in the world. We have been the force for millions to gain freedom and to preserve it. It is the politicians that condone loss of freedom and support repressive regimes around the world. I do not favor Obama and his minions in his administration. He his appointees have done much harm to our military and our effectiveness in helping to maintain peace. His emphasis on demeaning people and entities and creating devise policies do not help internally in the US or around the world in international relations.

    Report Post »  
  • Civil-Z
    Posted on May 20, 2012 at 1:04am

    The truth about the military:
    -Appearance is everything
    -A three star knows nothing about fiscal responsibility(He would use 50K for a desk and chair, but prevent his troops from getting bullet proof vest)
    -The way things are presented is more important than the reality
    -The more we spend, the more we get, the more we get, the more we want.
    -Harder to get Armor in combat zone than free cookies from KBR, the cookies cost more.
    -Must buy from GSA, oh what, “it’s cheaper at Wal-mart? What are you Nuts, don’t do it man!!!”
    -People are expendable when not in public eye, generally speaking, or during election season. Every vote counts you know!
    -Lastly, officers at higher levels pad the stats, order people to lie, fudge numbers, smile and head nod but have no clue about the following: Strategy, Cost Effectiveness, anything that is technical, or a bit of common since.
    -All in all when you here a high ranking officer speak, put your waders on because it is going to get deep.
    -They are Bill Clinton intelligent and are by no means Steve Jobs intelligent.

    Report Post »  
    • Civil-Z
      Posted on May 20, 2012 at 1:10am

      Oh, by the way, if congress is pushing an alternate plan. Think about which states(or companies) benefit from the companies that get chunks of that money. The president is trying to draw us down and the congress is selling us out, so what choices do we have?

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    • Belchfire V-8
      Posted on May 20, 2012 at 7:22pm

      Most of the “Generals” in the Pentagon say and do things for political or career reasons. This explains the doggy, under powered, inferior in air to air combat F-35 being the major fighter project at this time. Other, better performing, aircraft are either curtailed, or nor considered. This general is correct, antiques are still in service, while we pi$$ away money on “green energy” projects. Does Obutthead nor realize that weapons in production create good paying jobs?

      Report Post » Belchfire V-8  
  • Constantine Ivanov
    Posted on May 19, 2012 at 4:17pm

    I think that the title includes an error: should be CONSTRAINT, not CONTRAINT.
    Or may be, my English is not good enough to understand what CONTRAINT means.

    As for cutting military expenses, there are two sides in this story.
    One is the Disaster-in-Chief who does everything he possibly can to hurt our country.
    The Second one is corruption that allows to manipulate, foist and thrust contracts that are lucrative to producers and suppliers but unprofitable, disadvantageous or even fettering to the Department of Defense.
    Since there are many Disaster-in-Chief’s pets in the DOD, we have almost no chances to see the situation changed.

    Report Post » Constantine Ivanov  
  • NineteenEighty4
    Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:56am

    A soft cry from a drone representing all that is wrong with our Department of “Defense.” Call it what you like, it’s still a Ministry of War and Empire. They want billions upon billions every year, and it’s never enough for them. Our foreign enemy is mostly imagined at this point. Every time they catch a new “terrorist,” it’s some CIA inside job carried out by double agents. They are manufacturing terrorists and terror plots, all to increase their absurd budget demands.

    Let’s abandon our 700+ military bases abroad and focus on improving America and the lives of our own citizens. We don’t need to be a world police force, and we can’t afford to be, in the long term. If arabs want to kill each other, I couldn’t care less. They’re all their own ******, sovereign nations. Let them rot in their own repressed society they made for themselves. Let’s use our DoD for the actual defense of this country, not unending war and conflict.

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  • hauschild
    Posted on May 19, 2012 at 8:40am

    NOTHING should be off limits.

    If the military is anything like it was like when I was enlisted, it remains bloated. It needs to be revamped and re-thought-out – just like everything else in this country.

    Report Post »  
    • christopher.duncan2388
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 7:14pm

      While nothing should be off limits for budget cuts, I think that half a trillion dollars being cut from ANY single branch or department is a little excessive…

      Report Post » christopher.duncan2388  
  • lukerw
    Posted on May 19, 2012 at 6:18am

    Spending waste… OutSourcing Weapon components to China… and National Debt… is the Socialist means… to destroy the American Military, Defense, and thereby American Power in the World!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • blackyb
    Posted on May 19, 2012 at 3:01am

    The President and Justice Departments will not, it seems, take care of the waste and misappropriations because they do not want the country healthy. They do not intend for the country to recover because a healthy country will interefere with the agendas now in place in this country. It is like some lavish joke on America to have such an administration in place to sit back and watch as the country burns, floods with illegals, bleeds financially, work for and give breaks to those who do not deserve them, and unravel the very fabric that has held this country together. It seems this administration is making it difficult if not impossible to pass on the better things like respect of the Holy Bible, the Constitution and one another, where we can unite in one Republic and keep this country strong in morality and defense. The American people and the Constitution is being treaded upon by those who are supposed to be the leadership in the endeavors to keep this Republic as it was meant to be by the founders and those dedicated to the prosperity of this country.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • blackyb
    Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:44am

    It is my firm belief that this Administration is bleeding America by design, and this includes the Defense Department. They are attempting to weaken this country like many arrows in a huge animal to make it easier to kill. When they institute gays and marriage of gays into the military, they have not seen or could imagine the internal problems this will create or the financial burden this will impose on the Armed forces. There are too many obvious financial and social attacks from within this country to be a coincidence. This is the new war we are fighting, for we are fighting our own citizens to make way for agendas that should never be instituted in this, a free nation. We are trying to survive an administration that seems totally commited to the destruction of this country in order that it can be rebuilt based on some kind of model whereby the people are the servants of the government and not as when this country was formed. It better stop now or it will be too late, if it is not already.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • APROUDVETERAN
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:49pm

    I’m a Vet with seven years active service with the Air Force. I witnessed more waste than you can possibly imagine and this was just at the base level. The mindset of the average GI and their supervisors is “Its not my money, so why should I care about it ” That same attitude is SOP in the government contracting areas too. Having spent years in Contracting at the federal level, most guys and gals who were writing contracts had NO idea how to write one and I am sure that continues to this day. Until Uncle Sam decides to make meaningful changes in their business approaches, we will continue to waste millions upon millions of tax dollars yearly.

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  • Smokey_Bojangles
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:01pm

    Cut the Bureaucracy.We could then handle defense AND take better care of our veterans with less money.Throwing money at a bureaucracy just makes a bigger bureaucracy.

    Report Post » Smokey_Bojangles  
  • Bryan B
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:44pm

    I believe they to cut more money from the Military.

    I don’t want our Military being a Global Force of Peace, that not their job……

    Report Post » Bryan B  
    • ComradeAdam
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:52pm

      I agree, but I don’t think defense should be our starting point, it should be one of the last ones we cut. We need to start with entitlements and work our way down the llist.

      Report Post » ComradeAdam  
  • FromSeaToSea
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:29pm

    This is a false cry. The military industrial military complex is way to big. We’re being bankrupted.
    All we need to do is keep our nukes readied. The rest of NATO’s missions are illegal killing of foreign sovereign citizens. You must chose who you will stand with. Sorry to imform you. It’s coming. Are you going to stand with your freedom? The constitution or with the criminal regime.

    No one should be allowed to arrest you or take your personal property.

    Report Post »  
  • smallybiggz
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:26pm

    What is a contraint?

    Report Post »  
    • ComradeAdam
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:54pm

      Don‘t worry everyone in Washington knows it’s just a myth.

      Report Post » ComradeAdam  
  • USCavalry
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:19pm

    As is typical for the AF, the tears are shed for the fighter community. Ask for more money when you decide to retire the BUFF (B52). The F-15 is still a dominant and capable platform.

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    • jetmech807
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:45pm

      I agree with dumping the BUFF, BUT, although the F-15 is still a great jet along with the 16, they’re tired. After 20 or 30 years of mock dog fight and pushing the airframes to there limit, they’re wore out. If you don’t think so, imagine an airframe as a coat hanger. What happens to a coat hanger if you bend it back and forth enough times? Breaks doesn’t it. When go yankin and bankin enough times and bend the airframe enough times, what do you suppose happens? Being someone who spends his days keeping the jets at Nellis AFB viable, and having worked AF fighters as active duty and civilian for 23 years, I might have some idea what I’m talking about. Next time your Cav brothers get on the radio screeming for a CAS mision and find your SOL cause the 20+ year old jets can’t make it due to maintenance, maybe you’ll change your tune. If we can’t have F-22′s or the 35, can we at least get some new 15′s/16′s?

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    • jetmech807
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:39am

      And BTW, you do know that the fighters are the ones doing the vast majority of the bombing these days right?

      Report Post »  
    • historyguy48
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 6:58am

      The biggest problem is our good firends the Chinese. While we have been watching our congress and marxist leaders do everything possible to stop the production of new air frames the Chi-Coms have caught up and may have surpassed what we have available. They also have no qualms about producing a multitude of war planes.
      But just to make it interesting, do your research into the new main line battle tank the Chinese have deployed. It is an upgraded copy of our Abrams.
      Thats okay though. Our Socialist brothers would never mean us harm, would they?
      I know, the three ships left in our navy will protect us.!
      Or, maybe, we can borrow some of Disneys pixy dust! You know we could use that to fix the monetary collapse we are heading towards.

      Report Post » historyguy48  
    • USCavalry
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:23am

      I appreciate your background and experience, however I also flew two airframes in the military that were considered out of date and overflown beyond their predicted life. Magically, when replacements were axed from the budgets, these airframes were updated with something cheaper, in one case a new wing spar, in another a significant avionics upgrade, and their service extended substantially. IIRC, the AF grounded the F-15 as too dangerous due to age a few years ago, ironically at the same time the F-22 budget was up for debate on the original procurement numbers. When that ploy didn’t get the desired results (or maybe it did, based on the original numbers) the F-15 started flying again. It would be funny if this wasn’t how it works in the AF. Just look at their recent procurement nightmares.

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  • HorseCrazy
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:14pm

    guess what big weapons and decent warriors cost money. lets cut the garbage how about shutting down the epa to pay for the military…a gal can dream

    Report Post »  
  • Mark0331
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:13pm

    The left would love to eradicate all spending for defense..the left thinks they can wish violence and wars away with the awesome power of the collective, Marxist chants and horrible drum circles….I’d sooner due away with all foreign aid and welfare expenditures before I would cut a dime from the Military…the world is an ugly violent place and wishing it away won’t help…

    ….putting rounds ‘down range’ always works…always.

    Report Post » Mark0331  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:09pm

    Obama seeks to gut the military completely, leaving the nation vulnerable to all enemies within and without. He cares nothing about the troops, as proven with his remark of “…you serve ME…” in one of his speaches. The troops are led by the sitting POTUS, but serve the UNITED STATES.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • APROUDVETERAN
      Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:52pm

      Obama at a minimum is a socialist and at a maximum a Communist. He must be voted out of office in 2012. This country cant afford another 4 years with him at the helm

      Report Post »  

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