January 05, 2017
Sequestration taking toll on Marine aviators' safety
The collision of two Marine jets off the coast of Southern California in November gave San Diego a front-row seat to the life-or-death consequences of delaying maintenance and denying training hours to Marine Corps aviators. The lack of funding for these core elements of the USMC mission — due mostly to Congress’ self-inflicted wound of sequestration — constitutes a breach of faith with the men and women who risk their lives serving our nation.
Sequestration’s toll on the core “man, train, and equip” missions now has a body count, and United States Marine Corps aviation is the canary in the coal mine.
The recent removal of USMC Fighter Attack Squadron 232’s commander is the fourth involuntary change in aviation leadership in 2016, a phenomenon underscoring a much broader deterioration in the quality of USMC aviation. Facing untenable budgetary instability and frequent deployments, readiness has plummeted and crashes have increased precipitously. Department of Defense accountability may come via an inspector general report in 2017, but that is too little, too late.
Read the full article at the San Diego Union-Tribune.
More from CNAS
-
Pete Hegseth’s Views About Women and Military Standards
Podcast
In recent weeks, Hegseth walked back comments made while promoting his book, where he said women did not belong in ground combat units. Without citing specific examples, he co...
By Katherine L. Kuzminski
-
Sharper: Trump's First 100 Days
Commentary
Donald Trump takes office in a complex and volatile global environment. Rising tensions with China, the continued war in Ukraine, and instability in the Middle East all pose s...
By Charles Horn
-
Tackle the Military Recruiting Crisis
Commentary
The Trump administration should drive a whole-of-government approach to address the military recruiting crisis and ensure that the nation has the quality force necessary to de...
By Katherine L. Kuzminski
-
What Trump’s Pick for Secretary of Defense Could Mean for Inclusivity in the Military
Podcast
Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at CNAS joins to discuss the Trump administration nominee for secretary of defense....
By Dr. Kyleanne Hunter
