As the American military is being asked to do more in an increasingly volatile world, the US Congress needs to increase its budget and give the Defense department spending flexibility, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday.
"I have run out of adjectives to describe" what the budget uncertainty and lack of flexibility is doing to the United States military, DoD News quoted Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey as saying at the Defense One Summit in Washington.
The military needs more money because there are new requirements such as reassurance to Europe, operations in Iraq and Syria as well as support for stopping Ebola in West Africa. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's nuclear posture review also has costs, Dempsey noted.
Dempsey also said it's imperative that the department bring down its manpower and overhead costs, including slowing the growth of military pay and benefits and health care, retiring unneeded weapons systems and ships, as well as looking into a new base realignment and closure commission. "To make the military sustainable, you have to wring it out and make it as efficient as you can," according to him.
Dempsey said he will accept some of the responsibility for failing on two counts." "I've been the chairman for three years. In my first year or two ... we would go over to Capitol Hill and try to articulate risk what risk are we taking because of our inability to build sustainable budgets over time.
"I swung and missed," he said. "Nobody really took notice."
Last year, the chairman instead emphasized readiness. And again, he said, he swung and missed. "I have to adapt my narrative to explain to the American people why they should be concerned," Dempsey said.
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com