Billion dollar cuts loom for U.S. military

Tools

On April 1st, the Navy will shut down an entire carrier air wing and the Army will stop bringing in equipment for major overhauls. The cuts are all part of the $85 billion sequester that went into effect Friday.

The across-the-board spending cuts will cut $46 billion from the Department of Defense.

With military pay and support to the troops in Afghanistan off limits, the rest of the Defense Department must absorb $43 billion in cuts. Retired Brigadier General Paul Cohen says the cuts could be catastrophic.

"I think there's no question that, when we talk about training dollars, when you're not training soldiers, sailors, and airman in their basic skills then you lose a lot of that competitive advantage you have against a potential aggressor," said Cohen.

Defense Secretary Check Hagel says the military could get some relief as early as this week if Congress passes a defense spending bill that would allow the Navy to go ahead with the planned overhaul of two aircraft carriers.

On Demand

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Poll

Should the legal limit for alcohol behind the wheel be lowered from .08 to .05?

  • Yes
  • No

Local Gas Prices

Lowest Gas Prices in Tri-Cities
Nebraska Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

KHASTV on Facebook

Weather Closings