a. NCO and Soldier Programs – “Army considers other ways to realign forces without using a BRAC.”
As the Army gets smaller each year the cost to maintain unused facilities on all of our military bases grows proportionately with a shrinking force. With more than 20% excess capacity on all of our military bases, the Army finds themselves spending a large amount of money maintaining unused facilities. This cost drain has resulted in the Army asking for a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision so some military bases could be closed and the remaining troops consolidated on other bases. Congress however disagrees and is not receptive to another round of base closures. The article below addresses some ideas the Army is considering for realignment of forces. How do you see the Army initiatives playing out and what are your concerns?
b. AUSA Five Things – “Impact of presidential elections on defense spending.”
AUSA Five Things: A Weekly Tip Sheet for AUSA Members, dated November 7, 2016: “Great Expectations.”
Defense consultant and analyst Jack Midgley, a Deloitte Consulting LLP director, has studied the impact of presidential elections on defense spending, and found that it doesn’t make much of a difference if a Democrat or Republican is elected. What matters, he says, is whether a defense emergency exists. When defense spending increases faster than the gross domestic product, it “is almost always a response to a wartime emergency.”
What to watch: Midgley’s prediction, made on his blog, is defense spending will increase only by 2 percent or less after the 2016 election.
c. AUSA Moderator – “Multi-Domain Battlefield operating concept shapes Army’s future.”
“The Multi-Domain Battlefield operating concept shaping the Army’s future includes two big challenges: how to sustain a force in a fluid, fast-moving fight, and how to operate without constant communication, warns one of the Army leaders shaping the new doctrine. Multi-Domain Battlefield is built on the core principle of expanding capabilities to prevent adversaries from taking advantage of seams among air, land, sea, space and cyberspace. ”
d. Family Readiness – “We have a new president-elect. Here are five things the AUSA Family Readiness Directorate wants him to know."
THIS WEEK'S POLL QUESTION:
(To Vote: Scroll down to the footer of the page)
- Would Sen. Jeff Sessions make a good Secretary of Defense?
o Yes
o No
o Not sure