Claiming The Military Has "Withered" is BS!

Would someone please explain how the largest and most powerful military force in history has "withered" because of spending cuts? Yes, it has been stretched thin and we are overextending our resources. The solution is to get us out of the needless wars we are presently tied up in, not continuing to throw more and more money at them!

In a rare and hastily called Saturday press conference with fellow Republicans in the Capitol, Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard "Buck" McKeon, of California, said Democrats were “shortchanging” the U.S. military and threatening readiness.

McKeon defended the House bill sponsored by Speaker John Boehner, R.-Ohio, that narrowly passed late Friday. The Senate rejected that bill within hours and Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid, of Nevada, hoped to pass his alternative bill after midnight Saturday. Leaders from both chambers would then have to negotiate a single compromise bill and put it to another vote.

While members are battling to pass a bill by Aug. 2 to keep troop paychecks coming, House Republicans sought to highlight the longer-term stakes: hundreds of millions of dollars in defense cuts over the next 10 years.

“Let me put this plainly,” McKeon said, flanked by other Republicans. “If Senator Reid’s plan passes, if we stand idly by while this Administration pays down its domestic spending spree with the blood and sweat of our troops, our military will break.”

“We are determined we will provide for national defense,'' said Rep. Bill Young, R.-Fla., a Republican defense stalwart.

McKeon, in prepared remarks, said, “Our debt has exploded, while our military has withered. …We owe them our liberty, but this Administration treats them as just another number on the chalkboard.”

Boenher's office, on the speaker's blog, wrote, "It is time for Democrats in the Senate to get serious and…begin putting America on a more sustainable fiscal path without compromising our national security."

Source: Stars and Stripes - (The military's news agency)

Why Are Air Traffic Controllers Making Excuses for Sleeping on the Job?

This excerpt comes from Yahoo! News. Link below for the entire story.

Much more common is taking a nap on purpose, they said. When more than one controller is assigned to the "midnight" shift, which usually runs from about 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., one controller will work two positions while the other one sleeps and then they switch off, controllers said. 

The arrangements sometimes allow controllers to sleep as much as three or four hours out of an eight-hour shift, they said.

FAA regulations forbid sleeping at work, even during breaks. Controllers who are caught can be suspended or fired. But at most air traffic facilities the sleeping swaps are tolerated as long as they don't affect safety, controllers said.

"We've been in denial about this problem forever so you have widespread abuse of a system," said Bill Voss, a former controller and president of the Flight Safety Foundation in Alexandria, Va. "We could have a far better system if we just admitted what is going on and put some structure around it."

 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110415/ap_on_bi_ge/us_sleeping_air_traffic_controllers


I can only speak for myself and those that I served with, but when I was a Radioman in the Coast Guard back in the 80's it was inconceivable to me that anyone would even consider purposely taking a nap while on duty, leaving the radio unmanned. It was a court-martial offense. As a radioman, we would often work rotating 12 hour shifts - 2 day shifts, 48 hours off, 2 night shifts, 72 hours off, and start all over again - listening to radio static from multiple sources, and depending on where you were stationed, you were frequently alone unless you hit the alarm and woke up the search & rescue crew. If you were sleepy, you drank lots of coffee. If that wasn't enough, you stood up and paced, or stuck your head out the window. Whatever it took, we had to stay awake and we did! We even had it set up so that if the radioman had to use the john (toilet) - we would flip a switch that activated the speaker above the stalls so you could still do your job(s). And yes, I once copied a mayday position on toilet paper. Fortunately, I always carried an extra pen in my pocket. Afterwards, I started carrying a notepad. (But I digress).

The point is, we were young men and women enlisted in the military. We didn't get paid much, and those in the military today still don't get paid much. But we did our jobs and we knew right from wrong. These air traffic controllers get paid very large salaries with huge pensions to look forward to. The least they can do is earn it.

Oh - and we never knew if we were going to have a slow watch or a frantic one. It was common for it to go from dead quiet to chaos. I used to communicate with patrol boats, cutters (ships), helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, civilians, the Navy, and other military and law enforcement agencies, all at the same time, all while coordinating with the officers in charge and keeping them informed. So I don't want to hear about how difficult or stressful their jobs are.

Secret Space Plane Follies

I've been screaming about this ever since the first one. It appears we are no longer interested in space science. If it doesn't have a military application - it isn't funded. If it is military, they throw unlimited amounts of money at it and then try to hide it from everyone. This isn't just another spy satellite or surveillance system. They've had those for decades. My gut tells me this is a weapon prototype.



Secret Space Plane Can’t Hide From Amateur Sleuths | Danger Room | Wired.com