FD 2030 - FY24 Budget, Too Much Risk

Stop Shifting Risk Into This Decade From Future Decades

Army Major General John G. Ferrari (ret) in his opinion article for the American Enterprise Institute, For the Pentagon’s FY24 Budget: Buy Now, and Buy a Lot (see link below), issues a strong warning about the dangers of the military's 'divest to invest' approach. Although he does not mention the Marine Corps directly, all the military services are trading current equipment and capabilities that are needed immediately, for equipment and capabilities that may never arrive. Over the next few years, 'divest to invest' becomes paying more and getting less. Instead, General Ferrari advocates the military services, facing a growing roster of current threats, turn their focus and their budgets toward current capabilities now. 'Divest to invest' leaves all the armed services at risk, which leaves our nation at risk.

American Enterprise Institute

(aei.org)

Op-Ed

For the Pentagon’s FY24 Budget: Buy Now, and Buy a Lot

By John G. Ferrari

. . . The 2024 [budget] submission will tell us if the Pentagon plans to stay on course with its “divest to invest” strategy or if it will adopt a new one better fit for the changing realities of a world rocked by Russia’s war in Europe, an aggressive near-term threat by China against Taiwan, and pandemic-induced economic woes. It’s not too late to change tact.

The end result of the current divest to invest strategy has been a rapidly shrinking Army, fewer planes and ships, an emphasis on developing technology versus procuring weapon systems and munitions, and an overall shifting of risk into this decade while attempting to reduce risk in the 2030s. This strategic resourcing plan has now been proven false as both Russia and China appear to not want to wait until the mid-2030s to create havoc . . . .

John G. Ferrari is a Senior Fellow at AEI and a retired Army Major General. His expertise includes: Defense budget, US military, Data analytics and defense, Defense reform and acquisition, Security force assistance programs

https://www.aei.org/op-eds/for-the-pentagons-fy24-budget-buy-now-and-buy-a-lot/