It was just brought to my attention that there may be the odd person here that is actually interested in how their tax dollars are being spent as we enter a new phase of operations with a fresh administration . Let us focus on how things that will regain the confidence of the general public and put behind us the past black eyes from out of hand overspending on procurements and military contracts . With luck the Trump administration will hold true to their pledge of revamping all departments of the armed forces but feel free to beat a dead horse if you are so inclined . I will focus on the things that are for the good of those we are tasked to defend at any cost but will not shy away from pointing out some of the poor past and future choices keeping within my Uniform Code of Military Justice guidelines . All information is readily available to all general public and comes from direct military sources but will not include any material that may put personnel at risk or divulge their direct location in theater .

I will start with a quick detailing of our current objective classified under the code name Operation Inherent Resolve which is basically as follows :

As of 5:15 a.m. EST, Jan. 19, 2017, the U.S. and coalition have conducted a total of 17,554 strikes (10,907 Iraq / 6,647 Syria).

• U.S. has 13,708 strikes in Iraq and Syria (7,394 Iraq / 6,314 Syria).
• Rest of Coalition has 3,846 strikes in Iraq and Syria (3,513 Iraq / 333 Syria).

The countries that have participated in the strikes include:

• In Iraq: (1) Australia, (2) Belgium, (3) Canada, (4) Denmark, (5) France, (6) Jordan, (7) The Netherlands, and (8) UK
• In Syria: (1) Australia, (2) Bahrain, (3) Canada, (4) Denmark, (5) France, (6) Jordan, (7) The Netherlands, (8) Saudi Arabia, (9) Turkey (10) UAE and (11) UK

Between Aug. 8, 2014 and Jan. 16, 2017, U.S. and partner-nation aircraft have flown an estimated 134,933 sorties in support of operations in Iraq and Syria.

 

It would be remiss of me not to give a mention of congratulations to James Mattis on his new posting .

New Defense Secretary James Mattis picked top aides and made his first phone call to a foreign counterpart Monday as he began his first full week in the Pentagon's top job.

Mattis named retired Navy Rear Adm. Kevin Sweeney, who served with him previously at U.S. Central Command, to be his chief of staff.

Two-star Navy Rear Adm. Craig Faller, currently the service's chief of legislative affairs, was chosen to serve as Mattis' senior military assistant, said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.

Mattis, who arrived at the Pentagon on Saturday shortly after he was sworn in, also made the traditional first phone call to a foreign counterpart to Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, Davis said, but the retired Marine general is mostly focused on preliminary intelligence briefings and filling out his staff to "hit the ground running."

Mattis is also expected to make a series of calls or hold meetings with the heads of the combatant commands later this week, Davis said. Before beginning his first work week, Mattis also had to undergo "initial entry urinalysis like everybody else" employed at the DoD, Davis said.

Mattis' arrival at the Pentagon coincided with a flurry of military activity, but Davis said the stepped-up missions just before and after Mattis arrived were a continuation of ongoing operational efforts and were not influenced by the presence of the new secretary of defense.

The U.S. sent drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, to attack Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula targets in Yemen for three consecutive days over the weekend, killing one fighter on Friday, three on Saturday and one on Sunday, Davis said.

Last Friday, when Mattis received the waiver from Congress permitting him to succeed Ashton Carter as defense secretary, precision airstrikes carried out by manned and unmanned U.S. aircraft against a training camp in Syria's Idlib province killed more than 100 al-Qaida fighters, Davis said.

In Iraq, U.S. airstrikes were stepped up to attack boats on the Tigris River in Mosul used by fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria to flee the eastern sector of the city now under control of the Iraqi Security Forces. Davis said 10 more boats were destroyed Monday, to bring the total of ISIS watercraft destroyed to 143.

Among the "10 Things To Know" about Mattis put up on the department website is this: Although President Donald Trump calls him "Mad Dog" Mattis and did so again at the Armed Forces Ball last Friday following the inauguration, the bachelor "Mattis is nicknamed 'the Warrior Monk,' due to his intense love and study of military history, leadership and the art of war."

In his call with the Canadian defense minister, Mattis and Sajjan "reinforced the vital importance of U.S. and Canadian commitment to North American defense and NORAD [North American Aerospace and Defense Command]," the Pentagon said in a readout of the phone call.

Mattis later placed calls to British Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Both Fallon and Stoltenberg have expressed concerns about Trump's comments before the inauguration about the possibility of closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his remark that the NATO alliance was "obsolete."

In his call with Fallon, Mattis "emphasized the United States' unshakeable commitment to NATO and he thanked Secretary Fallon for his country's commitment of two percent of GDP [Gross Domestic Product] to defense and contributions to international security."

Trump has often complained that only five of 28 NATO members -- the U.S., Britain, Greece, Poland and Estonia -- devote at least two percent of GDP to defense.

Mattis called Stoltenberg "to reconnect and discuss the key role NATO plays in trans-Atlantic security," the Pentagon said.

Mattis, who previously served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, wanted to place the call to Stoltenberg on his first full day in office "to reinforce the importance he places on the alliance," the Pentagon said.

 

We have a budget for the armed forces of 600 billion and a good while back one high ranking official
about a year ago stated that the a lot of the money was being slipped someplace else and
not being used as intended....

That man as I had looked to follow him has disappeared from any other news....

 

Here is one of particular interest to the fairer sex .

President Donald Trump announced he will nominate Heather Wilson, a former congresswoman and Air Force Academy graduate, as the new Air Force secretary.

"Heather Wilson is going to make an outstanding secretary of the Air Force," Trump said in an announcement.

"Her distinguished military service, high level of knowledge, and success in so many different fields gives me great confidence that she will lead our nation's Air Force with the greatest competence and integrity. Our debt to America's men and women in uniform is eternal. Their service is an inspiration to us all, and we honor their service and sacrifice," Trump said.

Wilson would be the third woman to serve in the role after Deborah Lee James, who served under President Barack Obama, and Sheila E. Widnall, who served under President Bill Clinton's administration.

"America and our vital national interests continue to be threatened," Wilson said in the statement. "I will do my best, working with our men and women in the military, to strengthen American air and space power to keep the country safe."

Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said, "Heather Wilson is an excellent choice for secretary of the Air Force. Having served with her on the House Armed Services and Intelligence Committees and worked with her on many issues, I know her to be a serious and thoughtful leader who is well-equipped to meet the challenges we face in national security. I look forward to working with her in this new role."

Wilson graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1982, part of the third class to include women, according to the White House statement.

She earned both master's and doctoral degrees as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in England, while in the Air Force.

She served as an officer in Europe and, after leaving the service in 1989, served on the National Security Council staff at the White House under President George H.W. Bush during the fall of the Berlin Wall, according to her biography.

Wilson served as a Republican in Congress from 1998 to 2009, representing New Mexico's 1st Congressional District. She chaired the House Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, and was a senior ranking member of the the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She also served on the House Armed Services Committee for four years.

She ran in 2008 for a Senate seat, but lost during the primary election.

Since 2013, Wilson has been president of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City. The public institute focuses on degree programs in engineering and science fields.

Wilson, from Keene, New Hampshire, is married to Jay Hone, an attorney and retired Air Force colonel, the White House announcement said.

Until Wilson is confirmed, Air Force Undersecretary Lisa Disbrow will serve as the service's acting secretary, the Air Force said Monday.

 

Change will be swift and decisive as far as accountability from this point forward but with change comes resistence from the old guard which the new administration will need to eradicate in order to regain public confidence which is no small task I will admit but there is no other course of action other than to reform and move forward . I am particularly encouraged by the drawdown reversal as well as a bump in the budget numbers and it is guaranteed that we will be under the microscope in order to see that money is allocated correctly .
Already the F-35 program has reigned in it's spending as they move to 5th generation models of the fight jet as well as some negative press through Tweeting from POTUS has seen the reworking of the numbers to bring numbers in line with the contruction of the new Air Force One that has gotten out of control .

 

Some may question the following post but it is more relevent than most can appreciate whether you are a fan of Black Ops or a conspiracy theorist . I will make a simply quote and leave it at that for reasons that are self explanatory .

 

There have been all kinds of reports for years that 130 billion of that budget has been wasted for
many things and I had just lost hope we would ever get it in order.....

My main concern is seeing if Trump admin can do anything about that and....

Trump made strong statements about totally destroying ISIL which I even wonder if that can be done.
I will be curious as the progress of that objective.

 

That guy is something.....
Top of his class at West Point
Graduate of Harvard Law School...

 

This article may be of interest to you but is not as detailed as I would like to see but am not at liberty to expand as that above my pay grade and area of expertise .
Outgoing Weapons Buyer to Incoming Administration: Beware of Quick Fix
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2017/01/23/top-weapons-buyer-new-secdef-beware-quick-fix/

To say that one can completely destroy something is both premature and a little irresponsible .

 

A commentary :

President Trump has made rebuilding our military strength one of his top priorities. More money is certainly required, but so is reform of the Pentagon and how it does business.

Over the past two years, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have made defense reform a very high priority. We have put the military retirement and health care systems on a more sustainable footing. We have enacted the most significant organizational changes to the Pentagon since Goldwater-Nichols and have mandated reductions in overhead, in flag officers, and in the number of civil servants. We have passed two rounds of deep acquisition reform designed to get more value for the taxpayer dollar.

Reform will continue to be a major emphasis. We must become more agile in order to keep up with technological advances and with rapidly evolving threats. But reform alone will not repair the damage of the past several years. If the men and women who protect the country are to succeed in the missions they are assigned, we simply must invest more in defense.

From 2010 to 2014, the military budget was cut 21 percent in real terms. Yet, the world did not get 21 percent safer. We asked more of our military than ever, while budget cuts eroded America’s military capability. The Marine Corps is harvesting spare parts from museums to keep planes flying over Iraq. Air Force pilots fly fewer hours than some of our adversaries. The Chief of Staff of the Army has testified that the readiness of the Army is “not at a level that is appropriate for what the American people would expect to defend them.”

The last time Congress passed a threat-based defense budget was in 2012. Keep in mind that in 2012 Russia was not bullying its neighbors, ISIS did not exist - nor was it inspiring terrorist attacks in the United States - and China was not building new islands in the South China Sea. Over that same time, we have cut the number of Airmen, Marines, and Soldiers, making deployments more frequent and more dangerous for those who remain. We also have failed to ensure that they receive the training and the modern equipment they need. That is simply immoral.

What is to be done? First, Congress should immediately pass the fiscal year 2017 funding for national defense. The military has been operating on a stopgap measure since October, which hamstrings the Department of Defense and wastes millions of taxpayer dollars. Every day we fail to pass this funding bill is another day that the Department spends inefficiently and that the repair work is delayed.

Second, President Trump has promised to request supplemental funding for national security in his first 100 days in order to get a head start on rebuilding the military. A good blueprint to follow is the House-passed version of the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. It supported an increase in the number of troops, additional resources for training, maintenance, and facilities, and new equipment to replace old, outdated systems.

Third, Congress and the President must pass funding for fiscal year 2018 at a level that adequately supports our military and begins to repair the damage inflicted over the last several years. President Obama’s proposal of $584 billion to fund base requirements next year is clearly not enough.

The House Armed Services Committee has been working to identify the major gaps ignored by President Obama’s budget and to fulfill President Trump’s promises to increase the number of troops in the military and begin building a 350 ship Navy. For example, an additional $15 billion is needed to start rebuilding an active Army of 490,000 Soldiers; almost $14 billion is needed to begin repairing our ships, restoring our naval presence around the world, and recovering current readiness shortfalls; and nearly $11 billion is needed to replace worn out equipment and begin making up for military training missed over the last four years. It will take nearly $4 billion to restore dilapidated facilities. We are sharing the details of our analysis with the new team.

The cost to do these things is approximately $640 billion next year. If the Trump Administration and the Congress decide they are willing to take greater risk in some areas, then the numbers can be adjusted. But playing politics with our troops has gone on too long and has done too much damage. Lower funding will have real consequences.

While there are those who want to spend more, we believe that $640 billion is the level that the Department of Defense can responsibly spend next year. As we rush to restore the military, we must be careful not to overload the system.

To protect America’s security, we are going to have to pull America’s military out of the swamp of Washington politics. Making America great again begins with making our military great again. As President Trump begins this daunting task, many of us in Congress will be his strongest allies.

 

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmed the appointment of Nikki Haley as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday. Another important indirect link to military affairs and policy . Haley is expected to pass the upcoming full Senate vote .

 

All Cabinet members should pass Senate vote because of the Republican majority.....
once they are out of committee....

 

Jan. 24, 2017 — After more than 100 days of hard urban combat, Iraqi officials announced the liberation of eastern Mosul today.

While clearance operations are ongoing, the Iraqi security forces control all areas inside the city east of the Tigris River, the east bank of the river around all five bridges crossing the Tigris River, Mosul University and the Ninevah Ruins.

During their offensive to liberate the city of more than one million residents, which was held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant for more than two years, the Iraqi and peshmerga security forces fought through an elaborate defense formed over the past two years to not only keep the Iraqi security forces out, but the residents of Mosul captive. Through it all, the Iraqi security forces displayed their professionalism by placing the lives of citizens before their own and taking precautions to protect the citizens of Mosul while battling a brutal and fanatic enemy, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials said.

Meanwhile, they added, ISIL resorted to using children and other civilians as shields against coalition and Iraqi air and artillery strikes and used protected facilities such as hospitals, mosques and schools as weapons storage facilities and bases for its terrorist operations.

Air Strikes

Since Oct. 17, the coalition has conducted 558 air strikes in assistance of the Iraqi forces, using 10,115 munitions against ISIL targets. These munitions have destroyed at least 151 vehicle bombs, 361 buildings/facilities, 140 tunnels, 408 vehicles, 392 bunkers, 24 anti-air artillery systems, and 315 artillery/mortar systems.

During the offensive, the Iraqis fended off an average of five vehicle bombs a day, and endured daily mortar and sniper attacks, as well as surveillance and frequent attacks by ISIL unmanned aerial systems dropping grenades on friendly forces.

“This is a monumental achievement for not only the Iraqi security forces and sovereign government of Iraq, but all Iraqi people,” said Army Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, the commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, the multi-national counter-ISIL coalition tasked with the military defeat of ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

“This would have been a difficult task for any army in the world,” Townsend said. “And to see how far the Iraqis have come since 2014, not only militarily, but in their ability to put their differences aside and focus on a common enemy, gives real hope to the people of Iraq that after years of fighting and instability, peace and security are attainable.”

“There is still a long way to go before ISIL is completely eliminated from Iraq, and the fight for western Mosul is likely to be even tougher than the eastern side,” he said. “But the [Iraqis] have proven they are both a professional and formidable fighting force and I have every confidence that ISIL’s days are numbered in Iraq.”

“The warriors of the coalition join me in congratulating our comrades in the Iraqi security forces on this achievement and wish them good luck and Allah's blessings for the fight on the west side that lies ahead,” the general said.

The coalition trains, equips and enables the Iraqi and peshmerga security forces with advise and assist teams, intelligence, artillery and air strikes. Since the start of operations in October 2014, the coalition has trained more than 50,000 Iraqi fighters and launched more than 17,000 strikes on ISIL targets in support of its partners on the ground.

Over the past two years, with coalition training and equipment, the Iraqis rebuilt their military and liberated more than two million people and major population centers such as Ramadi, Fallujah, Tikrit, Kirkuk, Qayyarah and Sharqat. Now they are well on their way to the complete liberation of Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, officials said.

This is the USS Anzio a guided missile carrier .

 

Jan. 25, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.



Strikes in Syria

Remotely piloted, attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted 21 strikes consisting of 39 engagements in Syria:

-- Near Raqqah, 20 strikes engaged 11 ISIL tactical units and destroyed 16 oil pump jacks, six oil storage tanks, six fighting positions, four tactical vehicles, two watercraft, a bunker, a vehicle improvised bomb, and a vehicle improvised bomb factory.

-- Near Manbij, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit, destroyed three fighting positions, and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

Strikes in Iraq

Artillery, as well as attack, fighter, remotely piloted and rotary aircraft conducted seven strikes consisting of 35 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Qaim, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

-- Near Mosul, five strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units; destroyed four mortar systems, two vehicles, two weapons caches, an ISIL headquarters, an anti-air artillery system, a fighting position, a supply cache, a tunnel entrance, a vehicle improvised bomb, a vehicle improvised bomb-making facility, an ISIL guard post, an ISIL-held building, and an improvised bomb factory; damaged a supply route; and suppressed an ISIL mortar team.

-- Near Tuz, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position and an artillery system.

Iraqi security forces are leading the coalition’s fight to rid Iraq of ISIL. They are willing to take the brunt of the fighting to liberate their country and do not seek or desire the coalition's participation in direct ground combat operations. The government of Iraq welcomes the coalition because we are assisting them with our unique capabilities, at their request.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

 

Defense Secretary Speaks With NATO Chief, British, Canadian Counterparts
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2017 — In separate calls today, Defense Secretary James Mattis spoke with his counterparts from the United Kingdom and Canada and with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, according to readouts of the calls provided by Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.

Mattis’ first call to a defense counterpart since his confirmation Friday was made this morning to Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan. The defense secretary thanked Sajjan for his leadership and the deep and enduring defense partnership between the United States and Canada, Davis said. The two reiterated the depth and breadth of the relationship shared between the United States and Canada as North American Aerospace Defense Command partners, NATO allies and North American neighbors, he said.

The two leaders “reinforced the vital importance of U.S. and Canadian commitment to North American defense and NORAD,” the captain said. Mattis emphasized the “indispensable partnership with Canada across the spectrum of bilateral and multilateral security issues.” such as Iraq, NATO Enhanced Forward Presence and the effort to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, he said. The two leaders also addressed the importance of North American defense relations among the United States, Canada and Mexico, Davis said.

Mattis thanked Sajjan for Canada’s strong support for the alliance and expressed his personal appreciation for the professionalism of the Canadian armed forces, he said. The two committed to stay in close communication and noted they looked forward to meeting one another, the captain said.

United Kingdom

In his conversation with U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon, Mattis emphasized that the uniquely close relationship between the U.S. and U.K. will continue and is reflected in defense ties that are a bedrock of U.S. security, Davis said.

Mattis also emphasized the United States' unshakeable commitment to NATO and thanked Fallon for his country’s commitment to contribute two percent of gross domestic product to defense and for the U.K.’s contributions to international security, the captain said. The two leaders pledged to work together in the coming months, agreeing to maintain focus on defeating ISIL, Davis said, and they pledged to continue to work closely together. The leaders noted they looked forward to meeting at the NATO defense ministerial in February, he added.

NATO

The defense secretary, who previously served as NATO’s supreme allied commander for transformation, spoke with Stoltenberg to reconnect and discuss the key role NATO plays in transatlantic security, Davis said. Mattis “wanted to place the call on his first full day in office to reinforce the importance he places on the alliance,” the captain said.

The two leaders discussed the importance of our shared values, and the secretary emphasized that when looking for allies to help defend these values, the United States always starts with Europe, Davis said.

Both pledged to consult in the months to come and look forward to meeting in person during next month’s NATO defense ministerial.

 

Wed Jan 25, 2017 | 7:09pm EST
U.S. Congress member met with Assad in Syria, discussed peace: CNN





Democratic U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard said on Wednesday she met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and discussed the possibility of achieving peace.

The Hawaii Democrat told CNN in an interview that during her four-day visit, she wanted to get a first-hand view of the suffering of the Syrian people.

She said she met with Assad because "we've got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there is a possibility that we could achieve peace, and that's exactly what we talked about.'

Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran, spoke out against the Democratic Obama administration's policy of supporting the moderate opposition against Assad in Syria's six-year-old civil war.

Republican President Donald Trump indicated during the 2016 presidential campaign that he could abandon the rebels to focus on fighting Islamic State, which controls territory in parts of Syria.

 

I hope Trump can stop Government waste in all areas, he really is probably the last hope to cut the fat in the budget.

 

Thu Jan 26, 2017 | 3:19am EST
Russia says British military staging 'show' with Channel escort


Russia on Thursday said the British government was staging a show by escorting a Russian aircraft carrier through the English Channel designed to distract attention away from the shortcomings of the British navy.

Royal Air Force Typhoon jets and a Royal Navy frigate escorted the Admiral Kuznetsov on Wednesday as it returned from a mission off Syria to its base in northern Russia.

British Defense Minister Michael Fallon described the Russian vessel as a "ship of shame" for its role in Moscow's Syria operation and said his armed forces were watching it closely to protect British national security.



"The aim of such statements, and the kind of show being played out with the escort of our ships, is to distract the attention of British tax payers from the real state of the British Royal Navy," said Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry.

"Firstly, Russian naval vessels don't need senseless escort services. They know their navigating channel and heading," Konashenkov said in a statement.

"Secondly, I would advise Mr Fallon to devote more attention to the British navy, especially since, as the English press recently noted, there are grounds for doing that."

The Russian defense ministry's statement referred to media reports that a test-firing of a missile from a British submarine off Florida last year had gone wrong, with the missile veering off course towards the United States.

 

01/26/17
President Trump will look to prioritize military spending over balancing the federal budget, he told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview aired on Thursday.

“So a balanced budget is fine,” Trump said. “But sometimes you have to fuel the well in order to really get the economy going. And we have to take care of our military. Our military is more important to me than a balanced budget. Because we'll get there with a balanced budget.”

“I want a balanced budget eventually,” he added. “But I want to have a strong military. To me that's much more important than anything.”



Trump’s comments came a day after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) voiced his concern that the president’s pick to head the Office of Management and Budget Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) would “slash the military.”


Mulvaney, a fierce advocate for massive federal spending cuts, has opposed increases in military funding in the past.



During the 2016 election, Trump promised to bolster the country’s military, arguing that U.S. defense power has been largely depleted.



But the president also said early in his campaign that he would seek to balance the federal budget. He told Hannity during an interview in July 2015 that, as president, he would “insist” on such a policy, though he acknowledged it could take time.

“I would insist on it relatively soon,” Trump said. “Right now we're so under, we're so far under that you can't go too quickly. But I would absolutely insist on it relatively soon.”