Let me get this straight. The latest polls say three-quarters of the American people want a public option in health care, yet it's in question. But, Congress is about to throw $369 million (on a down-payment of $2 billion) for a dozen F-22 fighter jets that even the Pentagon doesn't want. Oh, and the money for it? It's coming out of funds that were set aside to clean up dangerous nuclear waste in the U.S.
Only in Washington.
For those not familiar with the F-22 and why it's a waste, let me explain. It's one of the most - if not the most advanced air-to-air fighters in the world.... To fight the Soviet Union's next generation fighters. That's right, that's why it was developed. The fighter has limited air-to-ground capabilities, which renders it pretty much useless in the wars we're fighting right now, and might be fighting well into the future. President Obama and Secretary Gates have rightly decided to shift our procurement to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, which we could actually use, because of its air-to-ground and stealth capabilities.
Nevertheless, to play it safe, we've got 187 of the obsolete F-22s on-hand or in the pipeline already, just in case the Soviet Union ever comes through with their next-generation fighters. Secretary Gates asked for only four more, to complete what the Pentagon said it could use. After that, the military doesn't want any more of them. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz have publicly withdrawn support for it saying, "The time has come to move on."
Apparently not those looking out for defense contractors, though.
And so, Congress is about to use the Defense Authorization Bill to pay for fighters we don't need from Lockheed-Martin, while taking money from cleaning up nuclear waste. Six decades of U.S. nuclear weapons research, testing, and production activities have left dozens of Department of Energy sites contaminated by radioactive and hazardous waste. The contamination threatens workers, communities, and the environment, including major water supplies.
Now, other veterans and I aren't for cutting the Pentagon budget in a way that would hurt our troops in the field, or hurt our ability to defend America now or in the future. But, our money is best spent on equipment that is so desperately needed in Iraq and Afghanistan - items like the Stryker armored vehicle, which the troops and veterans of VoteVets.org have almost unanimously raved about, for its ability to maneuver while protecting them from IEDs. That helps us a lot more than planes sitting idle somewhere.
So, a warning. To any in Congress who vote to keep this money for the F-22 in, don't try to present it as a pro-military vote. The military doesn't want it. Troops can't use it. Most veterans would say they're not for it. And none of us are for letting dangerous nuclear waste continue to seep into our land and water. So don't try to tie this pork to troops and veterans.
In fact, those who really care about the military, troops, veterans, and America will vote to strip the money for the F-22 out. We'll be watching.
Crossposted at VetVoice.com
Follow Jon Soltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jonsoltz
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We cannot afford to be a warmongeri
WAKE UP AMERICA
Tell Congress we do not want to be the world's policeman anymore. Does Bermuda want to police the world?? The Bahamas or Mexico or Canada ( practicall
WTF is wrong with Congress??
The untreated sickly could thus enjoy their declining health gluing the planes together and from their bed admire the gleaming model of their noble sacrifice for the well being of corporate America.
Or maybe pay down the national debt so that we're not spending hundreds of millions on just interest payments..
It might make sense to streamline the military, but that should be done rationally NOT as a result of people finall waking up on other issues that have been building up for years but because there might be a better way to do things.
Only special interests get their way in Congress
Follow the Money
Makes no difference about what's right for the country or the citizens. Whatever the lobbyists say is how it goes.
I still say we need to get rid of all the lobbyists and let these people start reading their mounds of emails to know what the country really thinks.
The F-35 is supposed to be a very good plane. It's supposed to do it all, fighter, ground support, stealth missions and more. How many vehicles do you know that do it all and do it well? There are many vehicles that do it all and do it half ass at everything
Our military needs to be ready for both current and future threats. The author and many on this column seem to believe every war will be exactly like those fought in Iraq and Afghanista
About 6 years ago, a newspaper article quoted an F-16 pilot of an "Agressor" squadron purporting a 10-1 loss:kill ratio in mock battles between his squadron and a unit of F-22's. Shortly thereafter the F-22's kill ratio had almost quadrouple
Amazing how the aircraft's potential just seems to increase in direct proportion to the growing realizatio
Besides, even if the USAF is reporting actual "figures", it's important to note that many such combats have been instigated under mitigating circumstan
We got our asses handed to us by India.
I think we need a replacemen
If you have an accurate account of the combat effectiven
Here's one link about the war games
http://www
jobs =votes . Anyone who votes for this needs to be voted out of office. If they aren't, then the voters are to blame, i guess.
Accept no substitute
If you're looking for close air support, go for the A-10 Warthog...
Semper fi
US General Douglas MacArthur
General and President Eisenhower said " beware of the military/i