Mystery Surrounds 5-Year Plan
By MARCUS WEISGERBER
WASHINGTON — Last week, top US defense officials told Congress that if the Pentagon were allowed to bust its budget caps, it would save one aircraft carrier and tens of thousands of troop billets slated for elimination. But DoD’s new spending request — which stays under the cap for 2015 but exceeds the 2016-19 caps by a total of $115 billion — contains no money for the carrier and extra troops, according to a senior DoD official.
It’s unclear just what the $115 billion would pay for, if not for troops and the carrier. DoD has yet to release details of the future years defense plan (FYDP). But officials have said that it would go to prevent early retirements of other ships and aircraft.
DoD officials say they’re not talking out of both sides of their mouth. They say it’s simply the best they could do, given short-notice direction from the White House to craft a budget that exceeds the sequester spending caps.
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