A new story from the Army Times highlights an unprecedented plan from the Defense Department to examine family support and recreation programs, identify redundancies, and axe the ones that aren’t necessary.
If you feel like this plan to examine programs rings a bell – it should. The individual services, specifically the Army, regularly proclaim their intention to do this or give updates on how it’s going. But this is the first time the review will be done at DoD level. As the article points out, this review has nothing to do with sequestration, or so they claim.
Nonetheless, the whole thing sounds like a great idea. Except it means that a program or two — which are undoubtedly someone’s favorite, most treasured activities — are going to go away.
The problem is how they are supposed to choose which programs stay and which ones go.
The folks who are doing the review say they’ll be gathering information from “enlisted troops and families through focus groups or other means.” But that doesn’t give a lot of clarity as to what their criteria will be.
We’ve given our advice before to military officials on just how to pick which program to kick to the curb. But this time I want to know from you, dear reader, what programs you feel should be given a particularly hard look.
They say there are redundancies, we KNOW there are redundancies … but what are they?
You tell us.
About Amy Bushatz
Comments
What would be nice is some consolidation and a recognition of existing nonprofits that could be utilized. There are an awful lot of programs out there recreating each other's entire wheelhouses, and recreating government services and – sometimes – doing a better job. I was at AUSA when Gen. Odierno discussed bringing all of these nonprofits together, but, as you point out, I haven't heard anything about it since then.
Interestingly enough, WLS, they discuss that Every. Single. Year. What's keeping them from doing anything is actually the law (groooooan). The military needs the ability to approach existing non-profits with ideas so that they can collaborate. As it stands they are blocked from doing so — the non-profits, who never understand the needs and therefore don't know what to do — have to make the first move. Then the military can accept. Lame, right?
Programs that need to go: MyCAA, Employment Readiness Program (although that may be a NAF program and not a DoD program) and anything else having to do with military spouse employment. When you married, the Army (or other service) never said it would take care of your kids, send you to college and find you a job. I don't think it should be the Army's (or other service) job to find a spouse a job. I know many will disagree with me, but we have to cut somewhere. Would you rather have job-finding services and money for education or childcare and after school programs? You have to choose. I don't think any of the childcare programs should be cut … I think CDC and after school programs should remain intact. However, the free trips offered by Youth Services need to go. If I want to send my child on a field trip to the zoo, I need to pay for it and MWR/DoD doesn't need to pick up that tab. I think the Army needs to stop mowing our lawns …. I do realize that with privatized housing, lawn mowing is part of the contract, however, the DoD still has to write a big check to the company that runs the privatized housing and in turn, the housing contractor has to write a big check to the lawn service company every month. That's ridiculous. We can mow our own lawns. You can't mow your own lawn because your service member is deployed? Then set up a lawn mowing co-op with your neighbors or with the help of your Rear-D. It's been done before. Another program that needs to go? The FRSA program. It's a budget drain and with the wars winding down, we don't need it anymore. One of the sentences in the article disturbed me: "The task force will include senior leaders at the one-star or Senior Executive Service level from each service and secretariat …" That is total BS … the task force needs to include both junior and senior enlisted spouses. The senior leaders (and their spouses) don't care what gets cut! The majority of the cuts won't even affect them! The task force needs to hear from spouses who utilize the programs and how important they are to those spouses, with the realization that some programs just have to go. Find out from those spouses what's really important and what can be sacrificed. Another sentence in the article made me chuckle: "We have everybody evaluating everything, but we don’t have any decisions,” said Karen Golden, deputy director for family issues in government relations for the Military Officers Association." That cracked me up. Because it's true! Enough with the "Task Force!" Cut something already! I was a member of a panel in September 2011 …. and we recommended some of the same cuts I'm advocating now …. but it's been 16 months and to my knowledge, nothing has been done! Lastly, contractor waste needs to be addressed in a very serious manner. The privatized housing contractors are spending money like crazy …. they don't need expensive executive suites, their own swimming pools and they don't need to be giving us hot chocolate chip cookies? Don't believe me? I promise you it's out there … I've seen it first hand. Use that cookie money to repair my house … you know, the one that has water damage in the ceiling from the leak in the roof!
Even some of the afterschool programs seem redundant/underused. If nothing else, apply the same measure and have parents pay for extracurricular activities. As for the housing contractors, I think that one is here to stay. They pay the government a fee for using the posts and bases and in return get to keep the profits. Apparently the work that comes with it (whether it gets done or not now is a different issue) was worth it to the DoD to outsource.
All that should be made available for any dependend family is the DoD School Syayem and Youth Centers, all else never should have been installed! Local Commuities should be the ouitlet for the rest of the needs? If is ALL of these SINGLE PARENTS that have flooded the military, that has and still is causing ALL of the major problems today…. This is the ideal time for any reduction in force, to REMOVE as many as possible of these so-called SINGLE PARENTS, and their BROODS of childrfen….When this is accomplished, shut the door to prevent anymore SINGLE PARENTS, using the Miltiary as their financial outlet to survive….
Wow Steve, you sure do have a chip on your shoulder. Get real here, a single parent actually has little or nothing to do with the DoD School System or the Youth Center. I have considered myself a single parent for many years even though I am married to another service member, he was gone and then I would be gone at different periods in both of our military careers. That is a fact of military life as a dual military couple with children. I utilized the CDC and the Youth Center, and still do even though I am now a retiree. It all depends on what branch of military base you are on. I have found the Navy bases I have used, I did pay for all services rendered. If they went to the zoo I paid for it, if they went bowling I paid for it, etc. I also pay a weekly fee based on my paygrade. These services are not free Steve. So, really what difference does it make whether I am a single parent or a married parent.
You sound like some angry bitter man who clearly has no idea what he is taking about. I am curious as to where you get your intel my friend. Please show us these staggering statistics that show single military parents as being the problem.
WOW….I totally agree! MyCAA is a great program but the fact of the matter is certain things need to be cut in order to ensure that the important things can still be funded. I get that it provides some sort of education for no cost. However, my husband is an E-6 in the Air Force. I just recently went back to college. The grants I got alone were nearly enough to cover the cost of my educations, and for anyone that does not know grants do not need to be paid back…free money for school is a way to look at it. I needed to take out a tiny amount in student loans to pay the rest of my fees (I was granted nearly 3k every 8 weeks…online classes…and I only needed to touch about $100-$300). So if you want to get an education you do not need to rely on MyCAA. Check your local colleges or other online schools. But I agree, MyCAA needs to go.
Housing I agree with too! Military housing is crap now. Like you said, I don't need a dang cookie, I need you to do something about the water damage in my ceiling that I have called you 6 times about. Let me paint a picture of the stupid things the housing office does now.
My husband called the other day to resign out lease (even though I hate living on this base, but it is much better than living in the surrounding area). They told him he had to show up on Tuesday to their Lease Signing Party at the housing office. They were going to have games and food and a chance to win some sort of upgrade to our house (unless its a new rat free home that doesn't have a sinking foundation, ill pass. I do not need new blinds). He told them all he wants to do is sign the lease. He didn't want to go to some "party" to do it. They gave him the run around until he reluctantly said "FINE OK I'LL GO!!!!" So last night we show up only to find that they didn't even have his paperwork read like they said they were going to. No one could find it. At that point he peaced out! Completely ridiculous event. Stop throwing stupid parties and just maintain my home. Privatized housing is horrible!
You nailed it with the youth programs. Keep them. But field trips need to be funded by the parents, like most field trips are. Great view points you have!
I think the privatization of housing is one of the largest wastes of money ever. When the military ran things, people weren't charged for wear and tear like they are now. When we moved out of one house, the property management told us the wrong shade of white to touch up areas when we moved out. When we did our pre-move-out the guy told us to paint the whole house and the wouldn't charge us, so we bought more paint and painted the entire inside. THey charged us for repainting ANYWAYS. When the military ran things, this never would have happened. They would have been happy with the freshly painted house. People took care of their neighborhoods, and planted flowerbed and vegetable gardens to beautify their neighborhoods, and now people can't do any of those things, they can't make their place home for whatever amount of time they are there. I would like to see the military eliminating programs that are available in the civilian locale, such as the YMCA or Boys and Girls club, and making those institutions better. (Two heads are better than one, right?) If the military can't approach them, then how about a spouse drop by and let them know that the military cannot approach them and tell them if they would like help with funding, all they have to do is approach the military. Make some of the perks more sustainable, such as charging (more) in the theaters, golf clubs, or the pools, but reasonably so. I think that allowing a spouse to have preference in DoD positions is a good enough employment program. MyCAA is redundant with the Federal Pell Program in my opinion, as it only applies to Associate degree equivalencies. My $0.02.
Excellent suggestions! I didn't think about the movie theater, the pool, golf course, etc. Yes, we pay WAY less so there's room for charging more.
The challenge is that a number of those, at least in the Air Force, are what we can N.A.F., or Non-appropriated funds, facilities. That means that they don't get money from the federal budget. Their funds come from their profits. So increasing the intake at these facilities may still not reach other programs.
As an example, our base "movie theater" recently turned back into just an auditorium with a screen and projection booth. They don't play movies there because it wasn't bringing in enough funds to keep its doors open. It was not getting funding from other programs.
The base where I live is currently moving toward privatization. I didn't know (as Wittylittlesecret mentioned), that our grass will be mowed for us…that's uncalled for. Six weeks after we moved in, we were told our house was on the list to get new appliances and an over-the-range microwave added. We received all those new appliances, with the exception of the refrigerator (which was only 3 years old). The dishwasher and stove are nearly identical to the ones we had before that were STILL working!! And why would they put in a microwave? Most people have one they bring with them. When I considered the cost of the appliances AND the cost to have them put in, I was outraged. I feel it's an incredible waste of money when so many people in the country are suffering and cutbacks are being made to other valuable programs. They have also painted several houses on base to get ready for privatization, another huge expense with the cost of paint supplies and the contractors to do the painting.
….continued in my Reply below
Anytie tghe government turns anyrthing for our military and their famil,ies to the civilians to run and control, look or WASTE to hit the atmosphere. Also plan on there way or hit the highway philosophy….Why in the hell did they ever turn over governemnt housing, under base control, over to the civilians, reflect the Lobbyists success stories doesn't it??? That is wyy you can see the PX's all gone to hell since the civilians took that over lock stock and barrel!!! The only "true" break we get is the taxes that could be applied…..but I'm sure the prices reflect that and we fail to see it??? Everything is now CIVILIAN CONTROL while the military personnel sucks wind….I stopped using the PX when it changed its name, and method of operations. I am very near thinking the same thing with the Commissries as well…. It took ther Loobyists decades to take control, they finally paid enough Congressmen to get that control of operations….Nothig is or Our, or our dependents, benefit anymore.
I will echo what many say here regarding privatized housing being axed or atleast restructured. I'd also say before anyone goes axing recreation, MWR etc just across the board, you have to take into consideration where each individual duty station is. Some duty stations are so remote, there is nothing else there but the duty station ie: FT Drum. Some duty stations are in large metropolitan areas ie: Joint Base Lewis McChord. Clearly, any duty station in a major metropolitan area doesn't need as many recreational activities etc. I am on the fence on spouse employment issues. I can tell you, we transferred some of the GI bill for my Masters and we paid for the rest. My qualms wth MyCAA were not other peoples qualms, mine was it really didn't do anything for anynore who already had any measure of formal education. However, having at one time been a junior enlisted family, I know there were years E3-E5 I had to work to help put food on the table. I already had a Bachelors degree so it was easier for me. We need to be mindful not to disenfranchise junior enlisted families.
My husband's list:
Cut the NEC: people making 80 to 100k a year to do a soldiers job and it takes them 3 weeks to do the job that would take a soldier 1 day
Cut the contracted cooks at the DFAC…the Army has cooks, let them cook
He's going too fast for me to type…basically in a nutshell he'd like to see contracting went through with a fine comb.
I would like to see the contract guards at the gates disappear. The Army has MPs … and one of their jobs is to guard things …. so please bring back the MPs to the gates and let them do that job, and cancel the contract for the GS employees on the gates.
They are in the process of cutting that now. A lot of the civilians employed by the military will be facing the cut here shortly from what I understand. I agree that the contract guards need to go. I hate saying that because it sounds callous (many men and women are going to lose a job that they depend on to take care of their families) but its true. The military spends millions training our men and women LE/MP's so lets use them. They have been guarding gates for years. What was the need for the contractors?
Because, in some cases, they're deploying the MPs who would otherwise be used at home station.
In the case of the Air Force, we were confronted by the fact that nobody, save for a few such as some fighter crews, bomber crews, and special operations airmen, comes home and just trains for the next time they go to war. All of our people used to operate our forward airbases are pulled piecemeal from the units back home. It doesn't matter if it's contracting, the legal office, air traffic control, the engineering squadron, or even our cops. Home station units lose personnel so those people can deploy and run the bases downrange.
Security, however, can only be automated so much. There are some things you need a body there for. So if I need all my military bodies downrange, I'm using civilian contractors at home station because, among other things, they're not deploying and I'm not providing them with many of the costly benefits that would be inurred using active, guard, or reserve military personnel.
I agree with everyone who says that they need to look at the contractors, why pay civilians more money to do what you already trained soldiers to do? Also, I do find some of the class a little ridiculous. They have a class basically on how to not hit your children, but the kind of people who need a class like that definatly wouldn't go to one.
Another thing to look at, we have many "purple" posts and bases here we have commands and contingents of multiple services, not just Army or Air Force or whatever. On those posts, services should be consolidated and maybe we should be looking at military-wide services and not just Army in my case. As an example, army Onesource morphed into Military Onesource. How about turning Army Community Service into Military Community Service. I've volunteered there….many of the jobs can be turned into volunteer positions alone….another money drain. I bet we could cut some programs and still have great quality of life, and I too cringe when military dependents have a sense of entitlement when something isn't free….I mean it's nice when it happens, and I'm not saying your servicemember and you didn't sacrifice and deserve these benefits and should be recognized…but when the money isn't there, we need to take an honest look at things at everything, regardless of how long the program or benefit has been around.
I would like to see military posts stop busing school age living in post housing to schools 15 miles from post. If there is a school 2 miles away-use it. THIS is a MAJOR foolish use of funds that could be used for necessary services on posts. Military posts use civilians so civilians can have jobs. These jobs could be given to spouses and dependents of military to help military families finances. Too many security risks with too many contract civilians on military posts.
Most military bases are in low income areas, so if you don't have enough money to live in the nice areas, your kids are screwed with schools. Some military men leave constantly, and it is nice having things on base you can do. We live surrounded by low income areas. You hear about shootings and such every night. You hear police cars almost every night. We have nice housing with friendly staff. We pay for all of the services at the Youth Center and the pool use. All of our housing allowance goes to housing. We don't have a hospital on base, so we go off-base. We don't use all the extras when my husband leaves. They cut our chapel budget, are closing our theater, and are talking about moving some of our squadrons. They have already cut our contractors at the gate. We have airman just out of tech school guarding our gates. They have tons of extra cuts that I don't know too. They are going to cut more… The sequester is supposed to cut 800,000 civilian government jobs… I don't work, so it won't effect me. I know it will be horrible on the bigger bases that have planes that are constantly sending people on deployments. You need civilians to do the jobs that the military can't be there to do especially when most of the squadrons have 50% or more deployed 90% of the time. It's not that easy to cut things.
I fear the programs that may be cut are not properly represented. My personal experience as a spouse was amazed at all the Army offers. Through volunteering and PX Kiosk sales, I got the evidence that most F/M and soldiers are not aware of these programs and resources. So I say keep the basic deployment support programs but not add anymore to it. Reinventing the wheel has taken us from around 70 official programs to over 300. ACS to include Resiliency and FMWR need to stay. I feel they need to be regularly, mandatorily represented at all FRG's by the volunteers/leader. I have submitted my idea in detail. I pray our leaders really listen to the families most then the employees and continue to provide the most needed support.
Sell off Soeto's golf clubs . . . eBay for starters.
Cut first family trips to South America and some of the White House staff!
FREEZ congress and senates pay until MEANINGFUL employment/jobs
numbers are shown via a Independent evaluation!
Stop treating the WH dog better then a GI's wife or child.