"An army composed of less than 980 thousand units, will not be able to meet all the objectives of the DSG (Defense Strategic Guidance) and will not be able to respond to the multiple challenges protecting national interests".
Due to the cuts imposed by Congress, the US military for the fiscal year 2016 will lose 60.000 soldiers. Translated into figures, the new budget provides six billion dollars less than what is required by the US Army. According to military requests, 3,4 billions of dollars would have been spent on training and combat readiness, while the remaining 2,6 billions for modernization and innovation.
"The budget cuts pose a serious risk to the security of US interests in the world, considering the instability of some areas and the speed with which they propagate, phenomena that until recently were inconceivable".
Odierno then underlined the commitment of the United States after the Russian intervention in Ukraine. We have demonstrated the commitment of the USA - the Chief of Staff added - by deploying troops in Eastern Europe.
We need to understand the true meaning of that sentence: "A demonstration of US commitment and resolve". In reality, if a conflict had really broken out, Russian superiority, for soldiers and armored vehicles lined up close to the borders, would have been overwhelming.
Total US defense spending will be reduced by ten percent to the 2021 with savings of 487 billion dollars. The US military budget peaked in 2010 with a budget of 700 billion.
Franco Iacch
(photo: US DoD)
