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Defense Department Priorities On Display …

$573 BILLION A YEAR … BUT MARINES ARE STILLING SCAVENGING FOR PARTS AT A MUSEUM? How mismanaged is the U.S. Department of Defense?  Well, on the one hand we have costly programs that are proving to be unmitigated failures … on the other hand we have a shortage of vitally…

$573 BILLION A YEAR … BUT MARINES ARE STILLING SCAVENGING FOR PARTS AT A MUSEUM?

How mismanaged is the U.S. Department of Defense?  Well, on the one hand we have costly programs that are proving to be unmitigated failures … on the other hand we have a shortage of vitally necessary armaments.

And that’s before we get to the debate regarding the broader mission of our military … which we believe is to protect our citizens, not provoke our enemies via totally unnecessary interventions.

Are we pacifists? No.  In fact, hell no.  But taxpayers invest in our military because they want to be kept safe – not placed in even more precarious positions due to ill-conceived interventions abroad and bone-headed mis-prioritization of resources at home.

Anyway …

How bad has this mis-prioritization become?  During a recent congressional hearing, U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas recalled a story in which Marines based in Beaufort, S.C. were scrounging the deck of the U.S.S. Yorktown looking for parts from a retired F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet.

The Yorktown, of course, was decommissioned decades ago – and now serves as the focal point of the Patriots Point naval museum.

The museum confirmed the testimony …

“We got an email from the military asking if they could have the forward left nose landing gear door hinge from the F/A-18 on (the Yorktown’s) deck,” Patriots Point spokesman Chris Hauff said, according to Popular Mechanics. “The Hornet, (Bureau no. 162435) is on loan to us from the National Naval Aviation Museum and they asked if the Marines could come out and take a look at it. They sent a team out here and removed the part, but it turns out they weren’t able to use it.”

That’s right, people … taxpayers shelled out $573 billion to the U.S. Department of Defense during the current fiscal year – and we still have Marines are scrounging the deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier/ museum looking for spare parts.

But hey … let’s just throw more money at this mess and hope it works, right?

***

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63 comments

Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 2:56 pm

I kind of appreciate that they would attempt such a practical low cost solution. I wish the government did so more often.

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Sgt. Major B March 31, 2016 at 3:00 pm

This is DISGRACEFUL!!!! The idiots in Washington, ask our men and women to go in harms way, without proper and useful equipment. I read a similar story where Navy Seals are having to share weapons, there is not adequate supply to arm them properly!

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Flip March 31, 2016 at 3:58 pm

They get proper and useful equipment when it benefits the right defense contractors I’m sure.

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TroubleBaby March 31, 2016 at 4:47 pm

If you had any idea the garbage they send the troops out in now and then….don’t get me started on Humvee’s.

It’s enough to make one a non-interventionist.

:)

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Sic Semper Tyrannis March 31, 2016 at 5:43 pm

In my day, my weapon # 2, was a shovel/pick. What’s a Humvee?

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TroubleBaby March 31, 2016 at 8:58 pm

“What’s a Humvee?”

It’s a thin skinned POS that requires heavy maintenance and needs your #2 weapon to get it unstuck from time to time.

Someone got the grand idea that welding plates to it would make it better at protecting it’s occupants than the original 3mm sheet it was clothed in.

All that did was make it even slower, which is hard to imagine- and slightly less vulnerable- but at least it was a cheap “fix”.

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Sic Semper Tyrannis March 31, 2016 at 10:31 pm

We carried extra socks and boots. Vechicles draw fire!

Sic Semper Tyrannis April 1, 2016 at 8:37 am

Sarc, I know what a Humvee is, never should of been used as a AFV. Ever ride in a WW2 Duce and 1/2?

TroubleBaby April 1, 2016 at 11:20 am

Sarc here too, and “no”.

Sic Semper Tyrannis April 1, 2016 at 12:33 pm

2.5 ton truck was made for cargo. After a hour your ass is so sore you would rather walk.

Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 3:05 pm

Pennsylvania Supreme Court declares Cruz a Natural Born Citizen
Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini ruled March 11 that common law precedent and statutory history maintain that an eligible candidate includes any person born to an American citizen, regardless of where.

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CorruptionInColumbia March 31, 2016 at 3:08 pm

Doesn’t surprise me. Our current POTUS has been in office going on eight years and despite bullshit and lies to the contrary, nobody’s really sure where he was born, except maybe him and a few close associates and handlers.

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Flip March 31, 2016 at 3:38 pm Reply
Tazmaniac March 31, 2016 at 3:42 pm

The tech community destroyed that doc as a obvious fake. That being said, logic would tell you it would be in his favor to create this controversy so people are arguing about a BC instead of his administration faults.

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Flip March 31, 2016 at 3:57 pm

He didn’t start the controversy though, and he certainly isn’t responsible for keeping it going. Republicans kind of let up on it after he still won in 2012 though.

Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 3:44 pm

This decision makes Obama’s place of birth irrelevant, if his mother was an American, which is clearly the case.

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sid March 31, 2016 at 3:53 pm

She was a ‘communist’, American hating American.

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Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 4:00 pm

Trump is an American hater. He no longer thinks we’re great. Trump thinks for forty years, we’ve been too stupid to negotiate trade deals and treaties or develop a nuclear policy. Every other country is smart enough to make deal that take advantage of the USA but Americans are stupid. Trump hates America.

Flip March 31, 2016 at 4:02 pm

Trump doesn’t hate anyone, he just pulls the suckers along by telling them what they want to hear. Yes, he’s going to build that wall, it’s going to be a great wall, and it will actually work, and Mexico will pay for it, and border patrol agents will patrol it mounted on unicorns.

Haley for Local School Board March 31, 2016 at 4:06 pm

You’re just jealous:

In an affidavit released this afternoon by FITSNews’ Will Folks, the controversial blogger and one-time spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford provides new details about his claims that he had an “inappropriate physical relationship” with GOP gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley.

According to the affidavit, Haley and Folks “shared [their] first kiss while sitting in her parked car outside of MacDougal’s restaurant and bar” in Columbia. The kiss reportedly took place in 2007.

Following the kiss, the pair allegedly drove to a “parking lot behind the neighborhood center at Emily Douglas Park, where [they] parked for approximately 45 minutes. There we slid back the seats of her Cadillac SUV so that Rep. Haley could climb on top of me.”

Folks also claims that following that first encounter, he saw Haley numerous times during Spring 2007, with most of the encounters taking place at his downtown Columbia apartment. He also states that other “romantic encounters occurred in her SUV (including one in the parking lot of the S.C. Policy Council) and in her Statehouse office.”

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/HaireoftheDog/archives/2010/10/12/will-folks-releases-affidavit-detailing-haley-affair

Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 4:12 pm

Haley is more popular than ever. Note December Winthrop Poll.
Donald Trump has admitted multiple affairs while married, and affairs with married women.

It's a comin March 31, 2016 at 4:25 pm

Cruz getting ready to get nailed for his own.Add that like Haley Cruz lies regularly with wearing their faux faith on their sleeves and skirts and Cruz is finished.

Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 4:33 pm

Cruz wins in Wisconsin this Tuesday. Not effecting him any. Those who are attacked with false accusations go up in the polls. Example: Haley.

TroubleBaby March 31, 2016 at 4:41 pm

Wouldn’t that make Trump a Haley/Cruz style conservative?

:)

Flip March 31, 2016 at 4:14 pm

Uh hey I think anyone who comes here regularly knows about Will’s fling with Haley…

CorruptionInColumbia March 31, 2016 at 4:14 pm

No, Trump wants to see our country healed from the decades of injury inflicted by politicians whose only goal was to feed their own limitless greed.

Globalists who are intentionally wrecking our economy, poisoning our food with GMO crap and more, and destroying our Constitutional way of life, such as Ted and Heidi are long overdue to be put in their place. I hope Trump gets that opportunity.

Flip March 31, 2016 at 4:16 pm

GMOs are responsible for our ability to feed people. If you want non-GMO organic stuff you are going to have to pay through the nose because it takes a lot more work and produces less food.

CorruptionInColumbia March 31, 2016 at 4:18 pm

Please tell me you don’t really believe that. The quality of our food is becoming noticeably worse as this evil crap works its way into our food chain.

Flip March 31, 2016 at 4:22 pm

Food quality is becoming worse because food is processed more and more to reduce costs. Compared to other countries America eats a lot less fresh fruits and vegetables and our fascination with low fat diets means we cut out natural fats in favor for processed crap. Genetic modification is generally used to increase yields.

Before modern science we “genetically modified” stuff all the time with simpler methods of cross-breeding strains that had desirable traits.

CorruptionInColumbia April 1, 2016 at 12:10 am

Cross breeding, grafting, and like natural modification doesn’t seem to be harmful. Lord knows, I love a good Florida navel orange.

The stuff these greed-driven, evil companies such as Monsanto are doing is just wrong.

http://responsibletechnology.org/10-reasons-to-avoid-gmos/

I wished I believed in the Biblical version of Hell. Then I could hope the mad scientists, CEO’s, and like might have a hot miserable corner reserved just for themselves.

Flip April 1, 2016 at 8:49 am

I will agree that companies like Monsanto are greed driven and often end up shutting down small farms, but the GMO food itself is not where the problem lies.

Tennessee March 31, 2016 at 4:47 pm

There is a good documentary on the GMO issue called “The World According to Monsanto.” Think it came out like ten years ago. Very informative. Shows that when rats eat some of this “food” their immune systems go into hyper-drive due to the fact that their body thinks it’s fighting off an illness or another foreign invader.

CorruptionInColumbia March 31, 2016 at 6:12 pm

Oh I know, but thank you for the additional info!!!!

Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 4:29 pm

This is an example of Trumpster’s seeing what they want to see and ignoring what Trump does say. Other than a nonsense retweeted suggestion that Iowans were supporting Carson because of GMO corn affecting their brains, Trump has never expressed an opinion on GMOs.

TroubleBaby March 31, 2016 at 4:43 pm

“Trump hates America.”

Aw come on, he doesn’t hate America, he hates the people that have been running America.

Now whether he himself will be any different, well, I have my doubts…but that’s kinda unfair to say he hates America.

Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 10:08 pm

“he hates the people that have been running America.”
Yeah, that’s better. I’m surprised you admitted it.

TroubleBaby April 1, 2016 at 11:22 am

lol, you’re surprised I’m admitting it? Why? Do you think I’m a Trump supporter?

Flip March 31, 2016 at 4:02 pm

Sounds more like Pogo if you ask me.

Will March 31, 2016 at 4:29 pm

Pick up my dry cleaning on way home from Rocky’s tonight.

Flip March 31, 2016 at 4:00 pm

Like I said, it’s a nice ruling, but unless the big daddy Supreme Court rules that way it doesn’t mean anything to anyone outside of PA.

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Trumpism March 31, 2016 at 3:36 pm

His only problem is that he will 400 plus delegates behind at the convention.

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Flip March 31, 2016 at 3:57 pm

Well that’s what the convention will fix.

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Flip March 31, 2016 at 3:37 pm

Doesn’t mean much unless the Supreme Court of the United States rules on it, but I think Ted doesn’t have much to worry about.

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Trump 2016 March 31, 2016 at 5:44 pm

Of course the ruling is absurd.

The Constitution says: “No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.”

If the drafters intended what this court says, why be so obtuse. Why didn’t they just say, “Any person born to a US Citizen.” rather than No person except a natural born citizen.” The obvious answer is because they did not mean “any person born to a US citizen.”

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Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 6:24 pm

By your definition, I guess that they wanted to include those born in the United States to immigrant parents who have not become naturalized citizens yet.

By your definition Andrew Jackson may not have been considered a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of the Constitution. His parents arrived in SC or NC two years before Andrew’s birth in 1767. His father died in the colonies before his birth. His mother died before adoption of the Constitution in 1781. It is not clear if or when his mother became a citizen. Defining natural born has been subject to British Common law and government statute.

Here is two paragraphs I found.

The United States Constitution, drafted in 1787, did not explain citizenship, but it did mention “citizens of the States” and a “citizen of the United States.” Citizens of the United States became entitled to the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution and its later amendments. Among these rights were the right to vote, own property, seek elective office, and to be protected by the laws of the land.

Because the young United States followed British common law, it accepted the rule of jus soli, or place of birth. As early as 1790, Congress recognized the rule of jus sanguinis, or blood relationship, by passing laws giving citizenship to a child born in a foreign country if the father was a citizen of the United States.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/government/civics3.htm

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erneba March 31, 2016 at 3:53 pm

“Defense Department Priorities On Display …”
I was hoping that you would have something really important, like the installation of uni-sex shitters at all bases and on all ships.
Now that would have ensured our national security for years to come.

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The Colonel (R) March 31, 2016 at 4:38 pm

Actually, building all new structures/facilities/ships/aircraft with a single shared head (Navy Marine) / latrine (Army) / potty (Air Force) would probably save a huge amount of money.

The Pentagon has twice the number of restrooms it really needs because it was built at a time of racially segregated bathrooms in Virginia. Roosevelt made them take the “race based” signage down after he was shown the building during it’s unveiling.

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Sic Semper Tyrannis March 31, 2016 at 5:51 pm

Yea, in boot camp, we had 5 shitters, 5 sinks, 5 showers. 72 men had 3 minutes to shit, shower, and shave. You better get all 3 especially the shave. We didn’t even flush untill the toilet was 3/4 full. That’s a team of Killers!

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Sic Semper Tyrannis March 31, 2016 at 5:45 pm

+5

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The Colonel (R) March 31, 2016 at 4:30 pm

Boys, boys, boys – things like gear bay hinges don’t generally wear out and there are not a tremendous number of spares in stockage. The last F/A 18 will roll off the lines next year and Boeing is charging a premium for parts.

It makes good sense to cannibalize a hinge for an older model (the bird in question is an “A” model, last produced in 1992) rather than having one produced at a “one off cost”. http://breakingdefense.com/2016/03/marines-scrounge-yorktown-museum-f-18-for-spare-parts-how-bad-is-it/ From the story: “…The part is no longer made and there were none on hand. Crew and pilots checked the F-18s on display at Beaufort to see if they might find a part. No luck. A lieutenant colonel visiting the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier about two hours away in Charleston, South Carolina. saw an F/A-18 of the same model, a HASC staff member told me today. They scrounged the part from what would appear to be the A model on the carrier’s deck…They got the part, but sadly, it didn’t work….”

All of that said, we need to:
1 – kill that resource sapping F-35
2 – fire the idiots in charge of the Littoral Combat Ships (good idea and a needed system just extremely poorly managed)
3 – shut down the M-1 Abrams production line until we actually need some more or something better comes along – half are in storage and this is an ideal time to upgrade all of them to M1A2 SEPv3 or M1A3 standard
4 – reduce the number of admirals and generals by 15% (there are 1,000 or so right now), staffs should be managed at Congressionally mandated sizes instead of allowing “accounting gimmicks” to illegally swell their ranks
5 – eliminate the “Imperial Rock Star Status” of being a general, a la General William “Kip” Ward who was caught using military money to pay for a Bermuda vacation and using military cars and drivers to take his wife on shopping and spa excursions. He traveled with up to 13 staff members, even on non-work trips, billing the State Department for their hotel and travel costs, as well as his family’s stays at luxury hotels.

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Tazmaniac March 31, 2016 at 4:39 pm

“Littoral” Combat Ships??? Best not to try to say fast 3 times.

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Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 4:40 pm

I C what you mean.

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The Colonel (R) March 31, 2016 at 4:41 pm

Why do you think they calls ships “she” or “her”…

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Tazmaniac March 31, 2016 at 4:44 pm

There is some scary big ones out there….er….ships that is.

Bible Thumper March 31, 2016 at 4:49 pm

Never got the “poop deck”.

The Colonel (R) March 31, 2016 at 4:59 pm

Poop deck – the French word for stern is la poupe. They got it from Latin puppis.

“Head” comes from the fact that the crew went forward (to the head of the ship) to do their business (often leaving streaks of excrement down the front of the ship – in rough weather, the bow generally would be scrubbed clean by the waves)

TroubleBaby March 31, 2016 at 4:45 pm

Best to shorten it and make it a portmanteau, you know, for efficiency and clarity.

:)

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Tazmaniac March 31, 2016 at 5:23 pm

I had to check Google images to see if they were canoe shaped with a little cannon on one end.

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CNSYD April 2, 2016 at 2:33 pm

Colonel, Here you go acting just like thumper and injecting factual information into one of Folks’ little stories. What do want Folks to do, actually research stuff before he runs with it?

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ELCID March 31, 2016 at 6:28 pm

They should have flown out to Tucson Arizona.
There are thousands and thousands of US taxpayer paid for jet fighters just rotting in the desert. Some are brand new never flown and came right out of the factory. Made just to satisfy crooked politicians local deals.

Just disgusting.

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Squishy123 April 1, 2016 at 10:45 am

Is that what Rachael Madcow tells you?

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ELCID April 1, 2016 at 11:12 am

No, I think you are hearing the voices in your head again.

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