Wasteful military programs

The planes currently aren't able to fly in bad weather or at night , and none have been used in combat. So far LCSs have been plagued by numerous problems , including structure cracks, computer system failures, generator meltdowns, burst pipes, propulsions problems, and potentially disastrous communication errors.

And to boot, naval officials are skeptical that they will do well in combat. In a nod toward sustainability, the U.

Navy has been attempting to create a "green fleet" by adopting alternative biofuels. Despite reports that there isn't a clear long-term cost benefit of adopting biofuel, the DoD has spent millions on private companies that are developing alternative fuels.

And green projects aren't confined to a single branch of the military; last year the Air Force paid for 11, gallons of biofuel at a rate 10 times higher than the price of regular jet fuel. In some cases, the unlucky soldier on trash-guard duty even had to fish bottles with tobacco spit out of the trash and rinse them tobacco juice being non-recyclable before transferring them to the recycle bin.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a Net Zero Waste Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana, an environmental contractor for the program informed the audience, including the post commander Brig. William B. Much of that increase is due to regulations enacted over the last eight years. The website for the Department of the Navy for Energy, Environment and Climate Change — which began in with Task Force Climate Change — boasts that the Department of Defense will reduce its greenhouse emissions by 34 percent by Similar panels and programs abound.

James Hasson is a former Army Captain and Afghanistan veteran. He is currently a third-year law student. James Hasson. More Articles. Defense Spending Department of Defense environmental compliance federal spending green energy military spending Net Zero Waste pork pork-barrel spending regulations renewable energy spending U.

Shop Visit Store. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible. Sarah Rosen Wartell , John Podesta. Sam Hananel Director, Media Relations. Peter Gordon Director, Federal Affairs. Madeline Shepherd Director, Federal Affairs. House Republicans are asking low- and middle-income families to sacrifice health care and basic services to preserve redundant defense systems: They are prepared to slash funding for child and elder abuse prevention, Meals on Wheels, and foster care to keep a helicopter that costs five times as much as similar models yet is not much more effective.

They are willing to raise taxes on the families of 5. They are ready to force hundreds of thousands of working families to forgo health coverage in order to block any cuts to a nuclear stockpile whose size is largely a relic of the Cold War.

Lawrence J.