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MSgt Operations Intelligence
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Edited 5 y ago
"Our combat operations support and training are being sacrificed to build a wall that only Trump wants." 1) President Trump is not the only one that wants a wall. I want a wall or fence, or whatever you want to call it to secure our border. And Millions more support the President. 2) According to dod.defense.gov, President Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill on March 23, 2018 that includes a $160 billion boost in defense spending over two years, reversing years of decline and unpredictable funding. 3) The "wall would cost about $6 Billion. Doing the math, that is about 0.46% of the DOD budget. Even if you want to argue with a $716 billion national defense budget. That comes to 0.84% of the DOD budget. That is still less than 1% of the total budget. Hardly a true impact especially when Congress gave the DOD a huge boost to begin with.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
5 y
If so many people want a wall why didn't it get funded during the 2 years GOP controlled all 3 branches? Even the GOP obviously doesn't completely see the need for a wall. Your math would make sense if Congress appropriated money for a wall, but they didn't, rather they appropriated funds for various DOD construction and improvement projects. The % of the total budget is meaningless if funds for a wall weren't approved and funds that were approved are taken from operational needs to build a wall that not everyone thinks is needed. Oh, by the way if you want something to secure our border what about the rest of our borders that aren't tapped for a wall? As much, if not more, illegal stuff comes through our ports.
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MSgt Operations Intelligence
MSgt (Join to see)
5 y
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen - Although the GOP controlled both, they narrowly controlled the Senate (54 total). It takes 51 to pass the spending bill. So, if 4 were against it, it would not pass. That is why only certain spending bills got passed in 2017 and 2018. If you recall the government shutdown late last year, not everyone was funded. Now, regarding your "rest of our borders that aren't tapped for a wall". There are areas that already have a wall that was funded awhile ago under Obama for example. There are still gaps where there are no fencing or wall. Those are the areas of concern. Yes, illegal stuff comes through our ports as well. But it has been proven that the wall does work, even CNN Acosta proved that (while not meaning to.). Once you secure the border, you can focus on the other.
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
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I think we will see these funds replaced. Since building the wall is a lot cheaper than supporting all those illegals, there will be money to put back into needed projects.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
5 y
Wishful thinking IMO. You and I will never agree on the wall. I want increased security, but technology based, not a wall which I see as a total waste.
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Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth
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There was a huge plus up in the Defense Spending and it has been hit over the years and funds redirected to other social programs...this is nothing new. Defense Budgets are an easy target and have been for many years. Since it was a plus up this year, I don't see the issue. I want the wall because I am tired of paying for health care and pretty much everything else for ILLEGAL immigrants and giving them tax refunds from a system they didn't even pay into. Build the wall. I don't believe it will hurt readiness in any form or fashion. As an acquisition officer for several years I have seen this amount of money pissed away on contract award fees and BS programs...put it to use where it can do some good.

Maj Marty Hogan
Lt Col Charlie Brown
1stSgt Glenn Brackin
Cpl Craig Morton
SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4"
LTC Stephen C.
CPL Dave Hoover
SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Sgt Wayne Wood
PVT James Strait
SGM Erik Marquez
MSgt David Hoffman
MSgt Stephen Council
MAJ James Woods
SGT Elizabeth Scheck
PO1 H Gene Lawrence
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MSgt Stephen Council
MSgt Stephen Council
5 y
Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth I agree with you wholly! There is plenty of funds available in the DoD waste bin of spending. However, I would like to see the money be taken from the fatted calf of social programs that spend our hard earned tax dollars on the millions of "Tax Vampires" who live their entire lives suckling at the public teat!
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
5 y
I hear you, but if you actually think a wall on our Southwestern border will stop any of that illegal stuff you seriously need to take the time to look at the entire southern border of the US. This is why I'm against that wall which is the equivalent of pissing into the wind. Develop technology solutions that can be used along our entire southern border if you want to stop the flow of illegal everything coming in from the South, not build a Great Wall of America.
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MAJ James Woods
MAJ James Woods
5 y
I have no problem if the money is coming from DoD defense contracts that are a waste of money or from other government programs that subsidizes corporations or businesses that don’t need the taxpayer funded financial assistance. But if it comes from programs that hurts the lil guy, families, low income Americans, small contracting businesses that depend on the federal work; then I have a huge problem with their intentions.
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