Fiscal conservatism

A friend points out that somehow congress's budget hawks will find a way to justify this:

The Air Force can't make due on $144 billion a year. The service is
telling Congress it needs nearly another $19 billion for fiscal year
2009 -- including about $1.7 billion worth of extra fighter jets.

Earlier this month, the Office of Secretary of Defense sent lawmakers
its core budget for the next fiscal year. (War costs are funded
separately.) But even that massive, half-trillion package doesn't
grant each and every item on the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines'
wish lists. So each service submits to Congress an array of "unfunded
requirements" that it wants lawmakers to pay for.

This year, the Air Force's list is particularly long -- and
particularly pricey. At $18.75 billion, it's more than
two-and-half-times what the Army and Marines are asking for, combined.

The service is asking for $1.1 billion, to buy parts and additional
aircraft for the F-22 line of stealth fighters -- planes that, last
week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates had little or no part to play in
the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. Another $828 million would be
devoted to the F-35 line of advanced jets; $616 million for five
Global Hawk drones; $183 million for B-52 bomber equipment; and $3.9
billion to buy 15 C-17 cargo planes.

But the Air Force wants more than a few new aircraft. The Service is
asking for $116 million, to pay for 100,000 new handguns with "
improved ergonomic design and higher caliber effectiveness"; $13
million in "dorm furnishings"; $367 million, to buy M-4 rifles; and
$276 million for "critical base services," like "base shuttle service,
dining hall service hours, fitness/recreation programs, etc. Lack of
funding impacts the entire base community and, specifically, junior
Airmen."

The Air Force is well-known on Capitol Hill and within the Pentagon
for its take-no-prisoners approach to securing funds. Recently, the
service compared the Army and the Navy to wartime foes, and proclaimed
proclaimed, "The Budget Battle is Zero Sum Gain [sic]."

The Army, for its part, is asking for another $3.9 billion, Inside
Defense reports. "The list includes $1.6 billion for Humvees and $137
million for Humvee trailers; $489 million for heavy tactical trucks;
$625 million for driver vision enhancement technologies; and $151
million for medium tactical truck cargo trailers," according to the
news service. The Marines, Inside Defense notes, want another $3
billion; more than half of that is for the controversial San
Antonio-class amphibious ships.

That the $13 million for "orm furnishings" could by thirteen Woodstock museums, dammit!

Views expressed on this page are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Campaign for America's Future or Institute for America's Future