Congress may have avoided falling off the so-called fiscal cliff last week but the vote did little more than delay what could be a very painful drop for the Department of Defense and military families around the world.
Last week Pentagon Press secretary George E. Little told reporters the budget process is “highly problematic” for the DOD.
The American Forces Press Service reports that the cuts that would take affect if Congress fails to act by March 1.
The cuts, called sequestration, could include reduction in funds for the war in Afghanistan and training for troops deploying to the frontline. On the home front, commissaries may close earlier, civilian doctors who serve military families may receive payments later and thousands of civilian workers will see their jobs changed, if not cut altogether.
While officials are scrambling to determine how much damage the sequestration could cause there is some clarity.
Stars and Stripes reported in December that a presidential order issued in July prohibits military salaries or benefits to be cut as a result of sequestration. Civilian workers, however, and every other aspect of Pentagon business, are on the chopping block.
Want to read more? Check out:
