How To Pay For A 21st-Century Military -- An Editorial

AL KUT RE-ENLISTMENT - With Al Kut, Iraq, in the background, U.S. Army Col. Richard Francey, commander, 41st Fires Brigade, re-enlists Army Staff Sgts. Patricia Fernandez, left, Cesar Morales, center and Corey Jarels on Dam Bridge, Iraq, Dec. 13, 2008. Fernandez, Morales and Jarels are assigned to the 41st Fires Brigade. Morales and Jarels are members of Francey's personal security team and cross the bridge several times a week. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Allison Churchill

From The New York Times:

In recent weeks, this page has called for major changes in America’s armed forces: more ground forces, less reliance on the Reserves, new equipment and training to replace cold-war weapons systems and doctrines.

Money will have to be found to pay for all of this, and the Pentagon can no longer be handed a blank check, as happened throughout the Bush years.

Since 2001, basic defense spending has risen by 40 percent in real post-inflation dollars. That is not counting the huge supplemental budgets passed — with little serious review or debate — each year to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Such unquestioned largess has shielded the Pentagon from any real pressure to cut unneeded weapons systems and other wasteful expenses.

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