Our friends at the Military Officers Association of America recently posted news that the House Armed Services Committee is preparing a report on the impact of proposed deep defense cuts to the so-called "Super Committee" would have on our military readiness. The Super Committee has been tasked with reducing the national debt by more than a trillion dollars over the next 10 years.
House Committee Chairman, Howard "Buck" McKeon, is concerned that any proposals for more defense cuts would lead to a "hollowing out" of the military.
The DoD is currently planning to make $350 billion in cuts over the next 10 years as part of the recent debt ceiling legislation. The Super Committee's mandate to come up with over $1trillion in combined reductions likely means DoD will have look for ways to make bigger cuts. As most of our readers know, this will surely force drastic cuts in TRICARE, pay, tuition assistance, and retirement benefits.
As MOAA points out, if they fail in that effort, and if Congress fails to pass an alternative package to save an equal amount by the end of the year, the new deficit reduction law imposes an automatic trigger mechanism (sequestration) that will cut at least an additional $500 billion from the defense budget over the next ten years.
The House Armed Services Committee report says that these cuts would degrade readiness and require force reductions of thousands of military personnel.
Read more on MOAA's Legislative Update.
