ABQJOURNAL OPINION/GUEST_COLUMNS: U.S. Troops Deserve Support

Monday, January 17, 2011

U.S. Troops Deserve Support

By Capt. George Autobee (Ret.)
Former Director of Government Affairs, American GI Forum
          The war in Afghanistan barely registered as a blip last Election Day polls; only 10 percent of voters rated the war in Afghanistan as the most important issue, buried under jobs, the economy and health care.
        Yet, although public interest has flagged, the war inexorably goes on, with relentlessly fatal consequences.
        Last year was the deadliest for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Since 2001, more than 1,300 men and women have lost their lives in the conflict; more than 9,000 have been wounded. On Election Day, no one asked the 98,000 troops in Afghanistan, but I guarantee that the war is their No. 1 issue, as it is for their families back home.
        What's more troubling is that, as public interest in the war wanes, so does funding for our troops. The Department of Defense is under incredible pressure to cut the military budget, not only eliminating inefficiencies but also canceling entire programs.
        DOD eliminated or scaled back 20 programs last year, including critical modernization programs like the Army's Future Combat Systems. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says more programs will be cut this year.
        It's one thing for experienced Pentagon planners to pare down the military's budget, but when Congress goes further by cutting essential projects down to the bone, it hurts our men and women in uniform.
        For instance, the House Armed Services committee recently voted to carve nearly $1 billion out of the Army's Brigade Combat Team Modernization program, which would provide soldiers with new intelligence and networking tools critical to capturing insurgents and staying safe from harm in Afghanistan's treacherous terrain.
        Army leaders insist that the network being developed under the program is their No. 1 modernization priority. But Congress complained that the equipment wasn't ready, even though testing this year seems to show that the new network is operating at maximum bandwidth over long distances with minimal interruptions, while the reconnaissance drones are highly effective at disrupting opposing forces under real combat conditions.
        More importantly, the soldiers testing this equipment at Fort Bliss have declared that this kind of equipment could start saving lives in Afghanistan today.
        A few years ago, such cuts for needed troop equipment would have been unthinkable. Fast-forward through the pop of the housing bubble, the financial crisis, the ensuing recession and "jobless" recovery: In the absence of clear success or failure in Afghanistan, many people have simply lost interest.
        However, our duty to U.S. troops in Afghanistan won't evaporate just because the faltering economy demands our attention.
        First of all, we owe it to our troops to come up with a cogent strategy for the war in Afghanistan. No matter what your opinion about the war our strategy should illustrate clear, achievable objectives and concrete plans for meeting them.
        Second, as long as troops still fight abroad at our request, we owe it to them to fund the tools they need to succeed in their mission and return home safely.
        That means fully funding the Brigade Combat Team Modernization program and delivering the new network our troops need, not delaying it with shortsighted budget cuts. That means funding upgrades for today's fleet of Abrams, Bradley, Stryker and other armored vehicles so they perform better in counterinsurgency operations, and investing in a more capable ground combat vehicle for the future. That means keeping our men and women in uniform fresh by funding an increase in the number of soldiers while lengthening service members' dwell time in-between deployments.
        Congress should ensure that troops get the equipment, vehicles, pay and training they both need and deserve. Congress must remember its solemn duty to the troops in Afghanistan.
        This duty has nothing to do with the shifting tides of politics. It is the eternal duty we all owe to those men and women who defend our freedom with their lives.
        George Autobee served in the Marines in Vietnam, receiving the Purple Heart. He also served the Army Reserves for eight years as a medic.

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