Obama Signs Sequestration Delay & Defense Policy Bill
President Obama signed the controversial measure that delays pending cuts to projected Pentagon spending and the 2013 military policy bill. The fiscal cliff bill’s two-month sequestration delay sets a new March 1 deadline for passage of at least $1.2 trillion in deficit-reduction measures, the amount needed to turn off the defense and domestic sequestration cuts.
Sequestration Delayed- What It Means For Defense
The House voted to extend most Bush-era tax cuts and delay by two months the sequester. The deal offsets its two-month sequester delay with $24 billion in savings, half achieved through a tax gimmick and the other half achieved through discretionary spending cuts. Of those, only about $2 billion would come from DoD and other security agencies during the current fiscal year, according to an analysis by the Stimson Center.
Defense-Related Resolutions For 2012
With so much leftover unfinished business, the military is already facing a very busy upcoming year. Permanently reversing sequestration tops the list, as Congress and the White House ran out of time to fully avert the $500 billion in automatic, across-the-board spending cuts over the next decade. But there’s host of other issues on the list of New Year’s resolutions.
Obama Nominates Hagel & Brennan For National Security Team
President Obama filled out his second term national security team by tapping former Senator Chuck Hagel to lead the Defense Department and John Brennan as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nominations, unveiled in a White House ceremony, came despite weeks of controversy surrounding Hagel’s expected appointment.
Army’s Strategic Vision Plan Unveiled
This month the latest U.S. Army Capstone Concept was released, which lays out how the will conduct future planning, organization and operations globally in support of the president’s national security objectives. The ACC stresses regional alignment with commitments to partners and allies.
The High Cost Of Returning Troops
The United States has spent nearly $600 billion over the past 10 years putting combat forces into Afghanistan. Now it’s going to cost an additional $5.7 billion over the next year or two just to transfer or return most of the troops and equipment we shipped into that country.
DOD Awards First Joint Licensing Agreement
The Defense Department has leveraged the buying power of more than two million information technology users to award a three-year, $617 million joint enterprise license agreement for Microsoft products. The deal demonstrates the best pricing DOD has received to date for Microsoft desktop and server software licenses.
Fiscal Cliff: 800,000 Pentagon Jobs At Stake
With lawmakers unable to approve a deal that would have averted steep spending cuts, Pentagon officials say that 800,000 civilian employees could be ordered to go on unpaid leave for periods of time. The military’s service chiefs are working to assess the impact of the congressionally mandated cuts.
Afghan War Commander Gives Options For After 2014
General John R. Allen, the senior American commander in Afghanistan, has submitted military options to the Pentagon that would keep 6,000 to 20,000 American troops in Afghanistan after 2014. The options offer ascending levels of American involvement in guarding against the expansion of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and advising an Afghan military that has limited air power, logistics, leadership and ability to evacuate and treat its wounded.
Next Director Of Air National Guard Confirmed
Air Force Lt. Gen. Stanley E. “Sid” Clarke III, commander of the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and 1st Air Force, has been confirmed by the Senate to be the next director of the Air National Guard. Clarke will replace Lt. Gen. Harry “Bud” Wyatt, who is retiring this month. Wyatt has led the Air National Guard since February 2009.
