Military capability facing pressures

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

Military capability facing pressures

The United States is presently concerned with a financial crisis. Emergent from that will be the military's constitutional mandated response and/or capability to protect and defend our country.

Many additional factors have emerged worldwide, caused by NATO nations downsizing their military budgets and capabilities. (England will have two aircraft carriers with no aircraft).

From 2000 to 2010, real military spending by China increased 272 percent, Indonesia 260 percent and U.S.A. 83 percent.

Probable U.S. budget cuts seriously imperil America's military total size and structure.

Procurement for the F-35 fighter aircraft will be cut.

Procurement of the vitally needed Boeing tanker will be slowed.

The entire B-1 bomber fleet will be retired.

Some B-52 bombers will be retained longer. (Some current B-52 pilots' grandfathers piloted the B-52s.)

Aging equipment requires increased maintenance servicing and cost.

The families of the downsized number of trained active duty military personnel will experience increased stress caused by increased family separations. They deserve our support.

Europe is a landscape, East Asia is a seascape. China may declare an offshore 3,000-kilometer radius as their national naval zone of interest. China is developing an aircraft carrier and submarine fleet and 3,000 kilometer-range missiles. A strong China-Russia relationship exists.

ARTHUR MacFADDEN

Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.)

Give everyone straight raise

I want to propose to our lawmakers how to prevent the rich becoming richer and the poor poorer.

Instead of a 3.5 percent increase in our Social Security, let our lawmakers decide what is the least of a raise they can get by with a month. Then, instead of giving a percentage raise to everybody, rich or poor, propose each person gets a straight amount of a raise. The rich will be poorer and the poor richer.

Think about it! I believe I'll run for Congress!

FRANCES DAVENPORT

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