Trump/Hegseth want to restore Continental Air Defense

[Cedric]

It's about time. Currently our continental air defense consists of fighters, but this is not the answer against SRBM/MRBMs such as Israel faces every day. The admin wants something like the Iron Dome, which if memory serves, we helped develop. I grew up near a SAC base which was protected by Nike-Hercules a few miles down the road from the base. I think letting this capability go was a mistake in the arms control negotiations. At the tactical level, combat divisions lost their air defense battalions after the Gulf War, but this is now being corrected after seeing drones and missiles in action in the Russo-Ukraine war.

Sunday Morning Futures:

 

[Talyn]

The USN should take over the east/west/Gulf of America coastal defenses with selective placement of older Aegis ships/Aegis Ashore installations (9-10 on the east coast & gulf, 7 on the west coast + Alaska & one in Hawaii), and the USAF & US Army with with THAAD/Patriot batteries and fighters for the north & south inland areas.

The USAF needs to replace all the F-15Es with new-built EX's, and redeploy the remaining -229 E's to the USAF Reserve and ANG along the Northern Tier.

My .02

 

[Cedric]

The USN should take over the east/west/Gulf of America coastal defenses with selective placement of older Aegis ships/Aegis Ashore installations (9-10 on the east coast & gulf, 7 on the west coast + Alaska & one in Hawaii), and the USAF & US Army with with THAAD/Patriot batteries and fighters for the north & south inland areas.

The USAF needs to replace all the F-15Es with new-built EX's, and redeploy the remaining -229 E's to the USAF Reserve and ANG along the Northern Tier.

My .02

Aegis ashore installations is an interesting idea.

 

[Shibadog]

We need some sort of realistic misleading defense for sure. North Korea and Iran are a couple good reasons.

 

[powerboatr]

Hegseth Wants $50,000 for 'Emergency' Paint Job to Move into Military Family Housing, Lawmakers Say

While it is not unprecedented for a defense secretary to live in military housing, it is far more common for them to find private housing.

www.military.com

i have to agree with this not middle of road article
sec def should not live on base and expect lavish housing...PERIOD
if he wants to be a secdef of the troops.....live in the crappy barracks or enlisted housing with no special treatment except added security.

or live out in town, he is a CIVILIAN
as a retiree we can live on base in many areas and pay rent that is very good compared to off base,
but it is still paying rent commensurate with local and pay grade

 

[Talyn]

The article said nothing about the quarters being "lavish".

The Sec. of Defense is a "civilian plus" with the need for extra security concerns. Living on a mil base is a good idea compared to Austin who became a rich man working for the MIC after serving, who I'm sure had an extensive security detail/set-up on his "off-base" $3 million housing.

Considering the horrible state of govt. housing who knows what the condition is of the "place" that needs the rehab work.

Considering what Gates paid & DC rental rates it may be cheaper to live on base plus the $$ save by the taxpayers on the Sec of Def security detail/arrangements.

I don't think retirees should live on base with subsidized housing.

 

[powerboatr]

The article said nothing about the quarters being "lavish".

Considering the horrible state of govt. housing who knows what the condition is of the "place" that needs the rehab work.

Considering what Gates paid & DC rental rates it may be cheaper to live on base plus the $$ save by the taxpayers on the Sec of Def security detail.

49k paint job seems extreme for a general house
must be full of mold ???
it may be cheaper to live on base agreed
but not as the article eluded its may closer to 150k to rehab the house
i bet my baby toe there is a 06 and above housing ready to occupy with less costs
my pet is the little guys living in crap hole barracks that were mis managed

want to fix it...put the commanding officers in the barracks. boom bang bing done
they did this at mayport one year to make a point
it sucks when a mustang gets to captain and he rolls heads

really only a very few of the government employees congress , cabinet secs etc should ever be compensated to live in dc...build a housing wing under the capitol...right next to the duty free liquor store they have
or hide a beds in their office

 

[Talyn]

Lead paint, mold, haz mat remediation, redoing any of the paneling/that's rotted away, then repainting.

All adds up especially with how much prices have increased. $20K for a new regular shingle rook nowadays.

You can dump a lot of $$ in fixing up a run-down place.

 

[Cedric]

When I started work as a DoD civilian and as a military retiree I found out I was eligible for government housing on installations around the NCR. I was a geographic bachelor so all I wanted was a simple BOQ room at 20 per day so I could save some bucks. Problem: the military went to leased housing and the housing contractor would charge me the military equivalent grade for my housing allowance regardless if I got a BOQ or O-6 quarters. Except I was not getting a housing allowance. In fact it would be cheaper to rent a three bedroom house outside the gate! Housing has been such a Rube Goldberg scheme so beware of any so-called benefits being offered for housing. Ultimately, I just rented a room in a private home for a reasonable price like everybody did moving to DC even the O-6 across the hall.