RE: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,183604,00.html

If the congess would keep it's nose out of trying to run the military we might win a war once in awhile. They worry about cost overruns yet give billions to bank and auto manufacturers and don't know how they spend it.

The Marine Corps has always been the service that receive the last funding. There should not be a problem with funding this program.. there was a request approved for more Marines.. would not mean there is a need for more equipment?

We have always had to do everything with the smallest amount of funding. First to Fight last for funding!

SemperFi, Sgt T. "Bear" Veninga
AD 1976-85.
MOS 0341/3522

quote:

Originally posted by SgtBear1981:
The Marine Corps has always been the service that receive the last funding. There should not be a problem with funding this program.. there was a request approved for more Marines.. would not mean there is a need for more equipment?

We have always had to do everything with the smallest amount of funding. First to Fight last for funding!

SemperFi, Sgt T. "Bear" Veninga
AD 1976-85.
MOS 0341/3522

In fact, the Corps always prided itself on turning back in some of the money allotted to it by the DoD. That is, until the Osprey.

I'm not familiar with the details of the Nunn-McCurdy law, but giving the benefit of the doubt, having "trip-wires" that prompt a review is not a bad thing. It may well be the labeling that is the shame here as "Cost Overrun" carries a "waste" and/or "mismanagement" connotation. Col. Hewson has a contradiction problem (the way the article reports the issue) in that growth in quantity required is indeed a "requirements creep" - although "requirements" as he uses it refers to growth or evolution of demands on the individual product, not the growth in number of products in the order.
Still - Nunn-McCurdy is valuable (in theory anyway) as it triggers a program review to analyze deviations from the original authorization expectations. If the deviations are justified and the program subsequently "rebaselined", then "Cost Overrun", while technically correct, is an unfortunate label.

I was in Viet Nam 1965-1966 and felt like the last born child, with hand me downs. Howcome the Marine Corps which is the best fighting group ever is last to receive enough money to do the job?

For those of you who don't know, the Marine Corps is expanding from 6 to 9 active duty Cobra/Huey squadrons over the course of 4-5 years. It's a bold move which was needed years ago, but one that needs a little reality check and now it's coming in trying to explain why they need more helicopters. The other reality is the lack of experienced pilots to fly in these squadrons and the resulting hollow squadrons that the Marine Corps will advertise it has, but are really paper tigers. By the time these squadrons are full up, the original reason for their activation will be gone and Americans will be stuck with the bill.

To the topic:If the chopper's were needed and the need for was provided to DOD or congress,what's the all the hullabaloo about?
Semper Fi!