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Originally Posted by richlevy
What is most disturbing is that CRF could not figure why the costs were increasing so rapidly.
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Defense Daily 06/28/2006
Author: George Cahlink
The top officers of the Army and Marine Corps yesterday outlined at a House hearing a requirement for billions of dollars that both services need to replace and repair equipment worn out by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker told the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) the service would need an average of $13 billion annually to reset equipment as long as the war continues and for at least two years after. In fiscal 2007, Schoomaker added, the Army would request $17.1 billion because nearly $5 billion in maintenance was deferred.
"We are not gilding the lilly, we are requesting what we need," said Schoomaker, who estimated about 290,000 Army items would have to be reset by the end of fiscal year 2006. He noted Army tanks are being driven at five times normal rates, helicopters flown at two to three times projected rates and trucks are being operated at five to six times normal rates.
Marine Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee said the Marines had received $5.1 billion toward reset costs in the recently passed supplemental spending bill and would need more as the wars continue.
"Even with an annual top line of $18.2 billion (FY 2007 President's budget) supplemental funding will continue to be required unless these is a significant increase (almost double) in our total obligation authority," Hagee said.
Lawmakers, meanwhile, linked resetting military equipment to overall readiness.
HASC Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) said the war had placed "severe demands" on Army and Marine Corps ground and aviations equipment. He said
resetting the force was "essential" to continuing to fight the war as well as being prepared for future threats.
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On a more personal level, I see orders coming in for spare helicopter parts that puzzle me.
I speculate it's a matter of the supply depot says we should get 20 widgets and it gets shot down for lack of funding and filed. This happens several times because widgets are a lower priority than say, bullets.
Suddenly there's a war going and the money flows, support the troops, pull all the denied requests out of the files and order them now.
So all 5 requests for 20 widgets are granted and we're building 100 widgets.
I repeat, this is speculation on my part....I prefer to think it's an *educated* guess.
