Inadequate Funding for the Military
Introduction
Budget constraints in the nation of America have led to subsequent constraints in the country’s military budget. This can be exemplified by the failed purchase of 700 F22 A’s that were supposed to replace the 800 F-15A-D’s as well as the night hawk bomber F-117 both of which should be retired. Congressman McKeon stated at the House armed services committee that this had led to hardships in the development of superior weapons. Similarly, the constrained budget threatens the superiority of United States in the air as well as its development and research in military lines[1]. The situation is still grim because the budget allocation to the military may not improve soon. This is due to the fact that the recent years have been characterized by frozen domestic accounts, large amounts of budgetary deficits and the ongoing focus on winning the current wars in mainly Iraq and Afghanistan. For example the Pentagon made a request for $708.2 billion for the year 2011. This consisted of the army’s share which stands at $245.6 billion. A closer look indicates that approximately half of the army’s budgetary allocation $102 billion is reserved for the fight of the two ongoing wars.
All these focuses are not wrong and they are all in good faith. However, they are all being done at the expense of the future of American military might. The compromise is totally misplaced and ill-informed because the threat on America’s security and peace is ever growing by the day. This has been the case because of the assertive nature of our nation in the fight for democracy and against terrorism and extremism. The diminishing military funding and ever rising terror threats do not augur well for the security of America[2]. The choice to win in Iraq and Afghanistan should not compromise the state of security and the future of our states military capability. According to the site of homeland security, the state’s current threat levels indicate a government threat level of color code yellow that stands for an elevated threat level. The flight threat level for all international and local flights stand at a level coded orange or high. Its obvious that with these threats there is significant danger to the security of the nation. Therefore, we as a nation should not continue with business as usual because this may be detrimental in the near future[3]. This will be the result of poor, technologically non-up dated weaponry and lack of research and intelligence gathering all of which depend on the size of budgetary allocation.
It is therefore, prudent to put in place measures that will help bridge these shortfalls, and thus; allocate more monies to military research, intelligence gathering, technological upgrading and fresh purchases of new equipment and weaponry.
This could possibly be realized by firstly looking at the possibility of cutting the country’s spending in the current wars. The state could possibly expedite the training and equiping of the local and native military and security structures within these countries.This will ensure America’s withdrawal does not mean the goals and objectives had not been obtained. After finishing the structural set up, this will give America a simple withdarwal that will cut costs resulting from wars on foreign soil.
Secondly, the country could opt to close or cut spending meant for foreign maintained bases. It is obvious that some bases were strategically positioned due to perceived security threats which may not be significant at the moment. Therefore, this cut costs could be forwared to our military for its sustenance and betterment.
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