There’s once again talk about the Pentagon considering early-retirement for a Norfolk-based aircraft carrier, but Representative Elaine Luria says it would be a mistake.
USNI News first reported the possibility last week, citing a legislative source indicating the possibility of retiring the USS Harry S. Truman early to save money, rather than having the carrier undergo the traditional and expensive mid-life refueling and overhaul.
That article prompted a response from Representative Luria, who is the Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Armed Services, saying “now is not the time to cut defense spending.”
“As we look to expand the U.S. Navy’s presence in response to malign Chinese activity and illegal maritime claims, the last thing we should consider is cuts to our carrier fleet,” Luria said, who is also a Navy veteran.
“One cannot place a value on the unparalleled power projection and deterrence provided by our fleet of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and their embarked air wings. I urge the Biden administration to immediately drop this from consideration.”
The idea of sending the USS Harry S. Truman to early retirement is not a new one. It was proposed in 2019 as a way to save money and fund other parts of the Pentagon’s budget but faced immediate bipartisan opposition, especially from Virginia’s congressional delegation.
During Vietnam the argument was Guns vs. Butter? Should we bump up military spending at the risk of slowing the general economy due to shortages and costs?
Today, under ‘that guy the ex-general’ the question has become spending money on a long scheduled refurbishing of an aircraft carrier vs. the ex-general’s pet project of purging, ala Stalin and Obama, the military of anyone who doesn’t see life through his eyes, and those of Biden, Soros, Xi and their acolytes.
The law prohibiting recently retired military from running the Pentagon was a good decision. The Senate granting an exemption to Mattis and now to Austin was a large error. It took a while for Mattis’ warts to show but Austin had a full blown case when he opened his office door. He will be a disaster but at least offers compelling demographics.