ARLINGTON, Va.---The president of the Association of the United States Army warned in a letter to the secretary of defense that the Army ``should not be shortchanged and made to forage internally for money to fulfill its role as directed by the Administration that then refuses to fund it adequately.''
Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, a former Army chief of staff and president of the 100,000-member association, said in the March 8 letter that AUSA "will work tirelessly to increase the nation's commitment to defense and the Army's share of the defense budget.
"At the exact time when the Army is taking a bold step known as Transformation, encouraged by senior Administration officials, it faces the reality of a 1.7 percent decline in buying power.'' Adding, "inexplicably the budget does not support the recently directed action'' to transform the Army into a more strategically responsive force.
He said this again means that "Army leaders struggle to balance near-term readiness and modernization,'' accounts that have decreased by 40 percent. Modernization accounts pay for research, development and the buying of new equipment.
At the same time, Sullivan said, "Ominous reports indicate that the Army may radically slash procurement of its centerpiece program -- the Comanche helicopter -- to bankroll Transformation. ... Moreover, it cannot accomplish the Transformation on the backs of its soldiers -- by cutting readiness or quality of life programs.''
Sullivan said his "fears deepen that a perilous death spiral controls the future.''
He also cited chronic underfunding of the full-time manning needs of the Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve.
Copies of the letter were also sent to President William Clinton; Sen. John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Rep. Floyd Spence, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
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AUSA Warns Secretary of Defense AboutDanger of Shortfalls in Army Budget
