This is the Pentagon Budget request for Fiscal 2013.
(
Source of
Chart /
Source of Budget Request )
Now, how can they work with numbers like that and justify this?
WIESBADEN, Germany — The Army announced Friday it is suspending its tuition assistance program for soldiers newly enrolling in classes due to
sequestration and other budgetary pressures.
“This suspension is necessary given the significant budget execution challenges caused by the combined effects of a possible year-long continuing
resolution and sequestration,” Paul Prince, an army personnel spokesman at the Pentagon, wrote in an email to Stars and Stripes. “The Army
understands the impacts of this action and will re-evaluate should the budgetary situation improve.”
“Every commercial, every brochure, has money for college written all over it … recruiting us into the Army and then taking away one of the
main reasons we joined is a bit hypocritical,” said Barina, who added that as an 11-year Army veteran, it’s his junior troops he is concerned
about. “There are so many things that cost a lot of money and don’t need to take place that are not getting the
ax.”
Source: Stars and Stripes
In over a half TRILLION dollars, the most important and serious thing to cut for Obama's sequestration order are the tuition support levels to help
these guys improve themselves?
Under current law, the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program provides any active duty service member a benefit equivalent to $250 per
credit hour up to $4,500 per year.
Active duty troops are allowed to take courses that are more expensive than this, but
must pay the difference out-of-pocket or through student loans.
Similar to the Defense Commissary Agency, the military‘s tuition assistance program is
promoted to enhance recruiting, readiness, and retention for the military
(Source:
DOD Report on Programs to cut or
reduce)
I understand the program isn't first designed for their self improvement. Nothing in Government is EVER about benefit to the individual. However, the
end result here is 100% benefit (and not THAT much of it, to be honest on the numbers there) for individual men and women who won't be in the
military forever. Why not see them use these educational benefits?
If this is a program that needs to be or should be cut, then lets hear the moves and logic behind cutting it during open and public debate. That is
the purpose and function of the House of Reps. This program was initiated in 1998 and under a very different President and nation. It seems a shame to
just hack and slash things like this while crap like multi-hundred million dollar cost over-runs are greeted with a sigh and a new check to cover the
expenses at DOD.
It seems all the small things that make that little difference in life are what are being targeted. Never the BIG stuff with billion dollar price tags
per copy. Just the little things, hitting the little people who..let's face it, generally didn't vote for this President anyway..right?
Hell of a way to run a nation.
